Sasha stood in her small bedroom staring at the pregnancy test on her dresser, and all she felt was fear. She already knew exactly how this would go. “I’m going to have a baby,” she announced, keeping her gaze steady despite her uncle’s darkening expression. A heavy silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating.
“Then is this some kind of joke? ” Uncle Carl demanded, his face flushing with anger. Aunt Rita recovered quicker, her lip curling with contempt. “You are unmated.
How could you? Do you expect us to provide for this child? ”
“You’re going to get rid of it,” Uncle Carl declared, leaving no room for argument. “No unmated female in this house will bear a child.
The shame alone—”
“I won’t,” Sasha interrupted, surprising even herself with the steel in her voice. “This is my child. I’m keeping it. ”
Aunt Rita scoffed.
“Then who’s the father? Even if he was just some random wolf who took pity on you, tell us who he is so we can demand he take responsibility. ”
It was a reasonable question. A child was created by two people, carried by one.
But Sasha’s situation was impossible. “There is no father,” she said quietly. The room went still. Her aunt and uncle exchanged looks of contempt.
“There’s always a father, you stupid girl,” Aunt Rita snapped. Sasha met her glare without flinching, her hand moving instinctively to her stomach. “Not this time. Because I never had sex with anyone.
”
Aunt Rita’s jaw dropped. —
Master Carl’s fingers dug deep into Sasha’s forearm, his sour, rage-filled scent growing more nauseating with every passing moment. They’d been waiting in the hall for a while now, and bile rose in Sasha’s throat. “Years of putting up with you, and this is how you repay me,” Carl muttered on a loop, staring stubbornly at the council chamber’s massive oak door.
Beyond it sat the most important members of their pack, and amongst them, the Alpha himself—the man who held Sasha’s fate and her baby’s fate in his hands. She’d heard the stories: the golden Alpha, so called for securing his position at a young age, for never showing weakness, for being cold, calculating, ruthless in negotiations. What would he do to a wolfess nobody who dared break pack law by carrying a child without having a mate? *He’s not taking my baby*, Sasha thought, determination rising through the fear.
Her fingers instinctively reached for her collarbone, roaming bare skin, searching but finding nothing. It left her strangely bereft. “Just beg for forgiveness,” Aunt Rita hissed beside her, voice low and urgent. “Beg, and don’t say anything more.
You’re sorry. That’s it. ”
Sasha nodded, though her mind raced. At best, she faced banishment.
At worst, death. Everyone knew what happened to Rogues—those cast out from pack protection, hunted, violated, torn apart. It would be even worse for Sasha; she couldn’t shift, wouldn’t last a day, and would never find another pack. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you,” Aunt Rita’s voice cut through her panic.
Rita had the same raven black hair and steel gray eyes as Sasha—her inheritance from her mother, a resemblance her aunt loathed. “After we took you in. After we fed you, clothed you. This is how you repay our charity?
By spreading your legs like a common—”
Sasha’s cheeks burned, but her hand moved instinctively to her stomach. “I’m sorry for causing you shame,” she whispered, the words practiced and hollow. Uncle Carl made a disgusted sound. “If you had any real remorse, you’d do as we’ve told you and get rid of it.
”
Sasha lifted her chin a fraction, something fierce blooming in her chest. “I regret the trouble I’ve caused you, Uncle. But not my baby. ”
She expected the slap.
It still hurt. “The only reason you’re still here is because of our generosity,” Carl leaned closer, his breath hot and sour. The massive doors creaked open, and Sasha jumped. A guard appeared.
“Lord Carl. The Alpha will see you now. ”
Uncle Carl yanked her forward so violently her shoulder threatened to pop from its socket. “You will keep your eyes down, your mouth shut, and do exactly as I say.
The Alpha doesn’t suffer fools, and his patience for disrespect is non-existent. ” His fingers dug deeper into her skin. “Cross me in there, and I’ll personally ensure you spend whatever remains of your pathetic existence wishing for death. ”
—
The chamber was larger than she’d imagined, walls lined with stern-faced council members and curious onlookers.
Whispers erupted the moment they entered. “What’s Lord Carl doing with a servant girl? ”
“Is that his wolfess niece? ”
“More like his worthless niece.
Can you imagine not being able to shift? ”
Heat crawled up Sasha’s neck, but she kept her head high. She’d endured mockery all her life—being wolfess in a pack of shifters marked her as less than nothing. “Keep moving,” Carl growled, shoving her forward.
Sasha stumbled slightly, and that’s when she made her mistake. She looked up and saw him. The Alpha sat on a throne of dark wood, dominating the room with his mere presence. Sasha’s breath caught painfully in her lungs as his gaze locked onto hers.
He was beautiful in the way deadly things often were, his face carved from marble, his eyes like crystal lakes framed by thick lashes. But it was the way those eyes locked onto her—Sasha, who’d been scorned her entire life just for existing—that made her lowly status suddenly unbearable. While she was at the bottom of the food chain, he sat at the top. A strange, unfamiliar ache settled in her chest.
A yearning she’d never allowed herself to feel before. All her life, she’d accepted her place, never wanted more. Until now. The thought was so startling that she nearly gasped aloud.
*This is madness. He is everything. I am nothing. *
The moment stretched taut as a bowstring until Uncle Carl’s hand slammed against the back of her neck.
“On your knees before the Alpha! ” he barked. Her knees hit the cold stone floor hard enough to bruise, but Sasha barely noticed the pain. Even with her head bowed, she could feel the Alpha’s gaze on her, heavy as a physical touch.
“You are with child,” the Alpha noted, his voice calm and measured. His scent reached her—forest after rainfall, clean and crisp with hints of pine. Something in it settled her racing heart. “Yes, Alpha,” she said, inclining her head respectfully.
“Well, where is your mate, then? ” There was something kind in his eyes as he asked, something non-judgmental. She wasn’t used to kindness without strings attached. “I do not have one, Alpha,” she said quietly, bracing herself.
A murmur rippled through the room. “No mate? ” The Alpha sounded confused. “What of the father of your child?
”
“Sasha,” Uncle Carl warned from beside her. But she wouldn’t lie. Not to her Alpha. “There is no father.
There hasn’t been anyone. ”
Everyone in the room startled except Carl. “Girl, I don’t need to explain to you how babies are made,” the Alpha said slowly. Chuckles rippled through the room.
Sasha blushed, lowering her eyes. “I know how babies are made, Alpha. But I never had intimate relations. I don’t know how I came to be pregnant.
”
Stupefied whispers erupted again. The Alpha tensed, his scent sharpening. “Lord Carl,” the Alpha turned to her uncle. “Have you opened an investigation on who could have done this to your maid?
”
Sasha blinked. Why would there be an investigation? Carl snorted. “Alpha, I’m not about to waste time and resources on a wolfess, a lying girl who’s dumb enough to lie with the first man ever to show interest in her.
”
Silence fell. The Alpha’s eyes darkened, his jaw clenching. “The girl claims she doesn’t remember,” he stated. “That doesn’t sound like she willingly laid with anyone.
”
Carl paled. “She’s obviously lying, Alpha. This girl is my late sister-in-law’s child, a wolfess girl whose father left her in my care in shame, and who I’ve taken under my protection despite the toll on this House’s reputation. I demand she be punished for her crimes.
”
The Alpha snarled, his scent souring with displeasure so potent that Sasha grimaced. “She’s abused while under your protection, and somehow she should be blamed? ”
Sasha startled at the word “abuse. ” Her child wasn’t a child of abuse.
It was a child of love. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain with a bone-deep conviction that wasn’t what happened. Carl scoffed, pointing at Sasha. “She’s a stupid girl who made a stupid decision, and still she insists on keeping her bastard child.
”
The Alpha pounded his fist on the table, making everyone cower. “Insists? ” he asked dangerously. “Why did she have to insist?
Did you try to dissuade her? ”
Carl paled at the quiet fury behind the words. “Well, of course I did, Alpha. Having a child out of a mating bond means banishment at best, which is why I brought her here to receive judgment today.
She refused to—”
“Enough. ” The Alpha snapped. “I will look into who could have fathered the child. He will either take responsibility and take your maid as his mate, or suffer the consequences.
As for Sasha—until then, she may resume her service in your household,” the Alpha declared, his voice carrying the finality of law. Sasha lowered her eyes, accepting her sentence. No banishment. Not yet.
“I want her gone,” Carl snapped, cutting through her resignation. “She’s brought enough shame to my house. ”
The room fell silent, everyone waiting for the Alpha’s next words. Carl’s smug expression faltered as the Alpha rose from his seat, towering over them all.
“Fine,” he said, turning to the crowd. “We just have to find her another job placement. Is anyone here in need of a new maid? ”
The room remained stubbornly silent.
Of course. No one wanted the burden of a wolfess shifter in their home. “Very well, then,” the Alpha sighed. Sasha’s head jerked up in alarm.
His eyes found hers. “Until this matter is clarified, Sasha will come work for me. ”
—
Vau rubbed the tense knot at the base of his neck, his temples throbbing with the beginnings of another headache. Carl had made him wait deliberately—a petty act of defiance after being overruled in the council chamber.
When the girl finally arrived, escorted by a guard rather than Carl himself, Vau’s jaw clenched. Another subtle insult. “Alpha,” the guard bowed low, pushing Sasha forward slightly. “Lord Carl sends his regards, and the girl is requested.
”
She kept her gaze lowered, a small bag clutched tightly in her hands. Likely all she owned. Once they were alone, he studied her more carefully. Her raven hair fell in waves past her shoulders, and though her gray eyes remained fixed on the floor, he remembered their startling clarity from earlier.
Beneath her clean rain and wildflower scent, there was a persistent thread of fear. “Come,” he said, softening his voice. “The car is waiting. ”
She followed in silence, keeping precisely three steps behind him—the proper distance for a servant.
It irritated him more than it should. In the council chamber, when their eyes had met, he’d seen something flare in her gaze. A brief spark before Carl forced her to her knees. The memory of how quickly it had been extinguished made his headache intensify.
At the car, the driver opened the door. Vau gestured for Sasha to enter first, but she hesitated, clearly confused. “You want me to ride inside with you? ” Her voice was tinged with genuine surprise.
“Did you expect to be given your own car? ” Vau teased. A flush colored her cheeks as she slid into the back seat. As the car pulled away, he noticed her gripping her small bag like a shield.
“You’ll be safe in my home,” he said, breaking the silence. “No one will harm you or your child. ”
She glanced up, surprise flickering across her features before she quickly lowered her gaze again. “Thank you, Alpha.
”
There was something calming about her presence, Vau realized. A quietness that settled his wolf’s constant restlessness. It was soothing in a way he hadn’t felt in a long time. Pain stabbed through his temple, and he ignored it.
“I’d like you to see the pack doctor tomorrow,” he said after a moment. Alarm flashed across her face. “It’s customary during pregnancy,” he assured her. “You should have regular checkups, and it might help us understand your situation better.
”
She tensed slightly. “About that, Alpha… I know how it sounds, but I truly don’t remember. ”
“I believe you,” he interrupted gently. And he meant it.
“Sometimes when something traumatic happens, the mind protects itself by forgetting. ”
Her brow furrowed. “But nothing traumatic happened to me. ”
That gave him pause.
“Your scent changed when you said that. As if you’re certain. ”
She looked genuinely perplexed. “I am certain.
I would remember if someone… ” She trailed off, unable to say the word. Vau leaned back, studying her intently. The mystery deepened. If she hadn’t been assaulted, then how did she explain her condition?
The brightness of passing lights forced him to close his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he found her watching him. “Are you unwell, Alpha? ” she asked.
“It’s nothing. ”
But Sasha interrupted. “When my mother used to get headaches,” she said softly, “she would press here. ” She touched a spot on her own wrist between the tendons.
“It sometimes helped. ”
Vau pretended not to hear, just as he pretended his migraines didn’t exist. But to his surprise, her hand found its way to his wrist, pressing against the spot. “Like that,” she said, focused, a small pinch between her brows.
Vau wanted to pull away—not because it wasn’t helping, but because he didn’t want to look as though he needed help. “Thank you,” he said instead, surprised by the roughness in his voice. She nodded, a ghost of a smile touching her lips before vanishing. As they approached his estate, Vau realized with some surprise that for the first time in months, his headache had begun to recede.
—
Sasha couldn’t stop berating herself for touching the Alpha without permission. Who did she think she was, offering medical advice to the most powerful wolf in the territory? Upon arrival at his estate, the Alpha had excused himself for business, leaving her in the capable—if not entirely welcoming—hands of his head housekeeper. Mrs.
Winters eyed her like a particularly disappointing cut of meat. “You’re the wolfess girl the Alpha has decided to rescue. ” The way she said “rescue” made it sound like anything but noble. Sasha kept her eyes down, hands folded at her waist.
“Yes, ma’am. ”
“Well, don’t expect special treatment here. ”
The Alpha’s home was unlike anything Sasha had ever seen—gleaming floors, polished banisters, and gilded portraits of stern-faced wolves she assumed were his ancestors. The difference between their worlds couldn’t be starker.
He truly was a prince in his castle. “You’ll be assigned duties according to your abilities, limited as they may be,” Mrs. Winters sniffed. “Given your condition, you’ll be kept away from any public areas where the family or guests might see you.
”
They turned a corner, and Sasha nearly gasped at the sight of a grand staircase—an elegant sweep of marble that seemed to float without support. “This leads to the family wing,” Mrs. Winters said, “which you will not be entering. ”
Finally, they reached the staff wing, where a young woman about Sasha’s age was folding linens into a cabinet.
“Helen,” Mrs. Winters called. “This is Sasha. Find something useful for her to do while I determine the best placement for her.
”
Helen looked up, bright-eyed and curious. She was pretty in a wholesome way, with honey-brown hair pulled into a neat ponytail. “Maybe she could help me prepare the dining room for tonight? ”
Mrs.
Winters made a sound like she’d swallowed something sour. “Absolutely not. She’s wolfess. We can’t have her visible.
Perhaps the laundry room would be best. ” With that, she swept away. “Don’t mind her,” Helen said once they were alone. “I’m Helen.
”
“Sasha. ”
“Come on, let’s get you settled. I’ll show you your room first. ”
They crossed a small courtyard to the annex, a separate building where most of the staff lived.
Helen led her to a tiny but clean room—a narrow bed, a small dresser, and a window overlooking a garden. “The bathrooms are shared down the hall,” Helen explained, handing her a simple gray dress. “Here’s your uniform. ”
Once dressed, Sasha followed Helen on a roundabout route through the estate’s gardens, bursting with late summer blooms, then back inside through a service entrance to the kitchens.
Inside, the air was thick with heat and movement. At least a dozen people darted between counters and stoves, calling out orders and complaints. “Delivery late again! ”
“Where’s the saffron I asked for?
”
“If M overcooks the lamb again, I’ll kill him. ”
No one paid them much attention as Helen led Sasha through the chaos. “Is it always this intense? ” Sasha asked.
“Only when we’re expecting someone important,” Helen smirked. “So yes. Guest tonight. ”
“Not exactly,” Helen lowered her voice.
“The mistress is coming. Luna Alara. ”
A nearby young man chopping vegetables snorted. “She who must not be named.
”
Helen giggled. “Don’t let her hear you say that, Thomas. ”
Turning to Sasha, she explained, “Luna Alara is the Alpha’s mother. She’s still technically Luna until he takes a mate.
And she has quite the reputation. ”
“She’s not so bad,” an older woman chimed in, wiping her hands on her apron. “Just, you know, don’t look her in the eyes, and you’ll turn to stone. ”
Sasha laughed despite herself.
Just then, a breathless maid rushed in, cheeks flushed. “The Alpha smiled at me! ” she squealed. “He asked if the west drawing room was ready for his mother’s arrival.
”
A chorus of sighs and groans followed. “You’re so lucky. ”
“Was he wearing the blue shirt? He looks divine in blue.
”
“Did he say my name? I left flowers in his room earlier. ”
Helen rolled her eyes. “Welcome to the ‘Alpha Vau Appreciation Society.
’ Meetings twice daily, at least. ”
The older cook shook her head. “Don’t mind them, dear. The Alpha is friendly with everyone.
Nothing special about it. ”
“He was kind to me as well,” Sasha admitted, then instantly regretted it as all eyes turned to her. “Oh my God,” one of the younger maids gasped dramatically. “Even the new girl already has a crush on him.
”
“I do not,” Sasha protested, her face burning. Helen draped an arm around her shoulders. “Sasha, how scandalous—a taken, pregnant woman like yourself. ”
The kitchen erupted in laughter, though it was good-natured rather than cruel.
“Maybe the Alpha’s the father,” someone joked, setting off another round of teasing. Sasha forced a smile, though relief flooded her when Helen finally steered her away toward the laundry room. She felt stupid for being so touched by the Alpha’s kindness earlier. Clearly, it was just in his nature.
As they passed through a cozy sitting room, Sasha paused, noticing a grandfather clock with a long crack down its wooden case. “What happened there? ” she asked. “Oh, that,” Helen followed her gaze.
“One of Mistress Alara’s cats knocked it over last year. He’s her favorite, always causing trouble. Oh, yes, Mr. Paddington.
”
“Yes, that’s—” Sasha cut herself off, picturing a large orange tabby with a white chest and paws. She’d somehow known exactly what the cat looked like before Helen told her. “Wait, how did you know that? ” Helen tilted her head, frowning.
Sasha blinked. “Lucky guess, I suppose. ” She reached absently for her collarbone with her fingers, but grabbed onto nothing but air. —
Sasha sorted linens in the laundry room, carefully following Helen’s instructions.
The work was simple enough, though the sheer volume of fine fabrics was overwhelming. “Those go in the gentle cycle,” Helen instructed, pointing to a stack of delicate pillowcases. “Mrs. Winters will have your hide if anything gets damaged.
”
Before Sasha could respond, the atmosphere shifted. A collective intake of breath, shoulders straightening, hands moving faster. Then she felt it—an unmistakable presence approaching. Not as commanding as the Alpha’s, but powerful enough that even her wolfess body instinctively recognized authority.
“Stand up straight,” Helen hissed, smoothing her apron with trembling hands. “Don’t speak unless spoken to. ”
The laundry room door swung open. Luna Alara didn’t enter so much as materialize.
One moment the doorway was empty, the next she stood there, perfectly poised, eyes sweeping the room with cool appraisal. Sasha had never seen anyone so elegant. Tall, regal, platinum blonde hair pulled into an immaculate chignon, not a strand out of place. Her features were striking rather than pretty—high cheekbones, a straight nose, and the same crystalline blue eyes as her son, though hers held none of his warmth.
“Mrs. Winters,” Alara’s voice was melodic but sharp, like the edge of a silver knife. “The sheets in the east guest room were changed this morning. ”
Mrs.
Winters appeared instantly, bobbing a quick curtsy. “Yes, Luna. Fresh linens, lavender pressed as you prefer. ”
“Good.
” Alara’s gaze swept the room, staff members lowering their eyes as she passed over them. “The Alpha mentioned the gardeners have been cutting corners on the north lawn. See that it’s addressed. ”
Her words cut off abruptly when her eyes landed on Sasha.
For the briefest moment, something like shock flickered across her face. She went utterly still, the color draining as if she’d seen a ghost. Sasha froze. *What did I do wrong?
*
Then just as quickly, the vulnerability vanished, replaced by cold fury. “What,” Alara said, each word precisely measured, “is that doing here? ”
The room tensed. Every gaze shifted to Sasha, who shrank under the weight of their stares.
“Luna? ” Mrs. Winters asked, confusion evident. “That girl.
” Alara gestured with one perfectly manicured finger. “The wolfess one. Why is she in my house? ”
Mrs.
Winters wrung her hands. “The Alpha brought her himself, Luna. I was instructed to find her duties. ”
“I want her gone,” Alara snapped.
“But Luna, the Alpha—”
“My son is young,” Alara snapped, “and occasionally misguided in his charity. ”
Alara’s gaze locked onto Sasha, ice cold and unyielding. “Come with me. ”
Sasha had no choice but to obey.
As she was marched from the laundry room through the kitchen, where staff scattered like startled birds, and into the main hall, Mrs. Winters hurried to catch up. “Luna, please,” the housekeeper protested. “Perhaps we should wait—”
“I want her belongings packed and her escort arranged within the hour,” Alara stated flatly.
“I don’t care where she goes, but she will not remain here. ”
Mrs. Winters hesitated, torn between two authorities. Finally, she nodded.
“As you wish, Luna. ”
They were crossing the main hall when a now-familiar voice cut through the tension. “What’s going on here? ”
Alpha Vau stood at the foot of the grand staircase, his expression unreadable as he took in the scene.
Behind him, Alara emerged from an adjacent room, her face transforming instantly from irritation to warm, effortless charm. “Vau, darling,” she called, floating toward him with a radiant smile. “I was just looking for you. ”
“Mother,” he accepted her cheek kiss, though his focus remained on Sasha and her bag.
“What’s happening? ”
Before Sasha could speak, Alara smoothly interjected. “A small misunderstanding, dearest. I was just explaining to Mrs.
Winters that perhaps the girl would be better suited elsewhere. ”
“Elsewhere? ” Vau’s brow furrowed. “She has no wolf, darling,” Alara said lightly, as if explaining something obvious.
“Hardly appropriate for household staff. What would people say? ”
Vau’s jaw tightened. “I hired her, Mother.
”
“Yes, and that’s very charitable of you. ” Alara patted his arm indulgently. “But think of our allies. If they visit and find such a girl among our staff…”
“I don’t particularly care what they think,” Vau said, his voice level but sharp.
“Sasha, put your bag down. You’re not going anywhere. ”
Alara’s smile didn’t falter, but her eyes darkened. “Vau,” she lowered her voice.
“Be reasonable. What possible use could she serve here? We have more than enough staff. ”
“Sasha.
” The Alpha’s tone brooked no argument. “Unpack your things and return to whatever duties Mrs. Winters assigned you. ”
Sasha nodded quickly, relief and confusion warring inside her.
As she turned to leave, Vau added, “And Mrs. Winters, ensure Sasha sees the pack doctor tomorrow morning. ”
“Yes, Alpha,” Mrs. Winters replied, ushering Sasha toward the service corridor.
Before they were out of earshot, Sasha heard Vau’s voice drop, urgent but firm. “She’s pregnant, Mother, and the father is nowhere to be found. I suspect she was abused. ”
Alara’s head snapped toward Sasha.
Their eyes met across the hall, and for the second time, color drained from the Luna’s perfect complexion. “Pregnant? ” Alara whispered, her voice barely audible. “Yes.
And she claims not to remember how it happened,” Vau continued, “which suggests trauma. Possibly—”
“We have no need for extra servants,” Alara interrupted, her voice suddenly weak, trembling. She sounded nothing like the imperious woman from moments ago. “I could find a placement for her elsewhere.
Perhaps with the Thompsons or…”
“That would be helpful,” Vau conceded. “But until then, she has nowhere to go. So she’ll remain here. ”
Alara said nothing more, but as Sasha followed Mrs.
Winters away, she felt the Luna’s gaze on her—intense, calculating, and tinged with something else. Something that felt almost like resentment. —
One month later, Vau sat at the head of the council table, his expression unreadable as Lord Reynolds droned on about territory disputes at the northern border. “With all due respect, Alpha,” Reynolds said, “the Miller pack is clearly testing our boundaries.
”
Vau kept his hands flat on the polished oak table, hiding the faint tremor. The migraine that had begun at dawn now pulsed behind his left eye. “Their Alpha has already apologized,” he replied, voice steady despite the ache. “Young wolves, newly shifted.
They got carried away during the hunt. ”
“And you believe that excuse? ” Lord Keller scoffed. “Your father would have demanded blood price for such disrespect.
”
The room stilled. “My father’s methods secured our territory,” Vau acknowledged. “Mine will expand it. I’ve negotiated access to the eastern waterways in exchange for overlooking this misunderstanding.
”
A shift in the air—skepticism turning to reluctant approval. “The treaty will be signed at the full moon gathering,” Vau continued, rising to signal the meeting’s end. “Unless there’s anything else? ”
The council bowed their heads in deference as they filed out.
But Vau didn’t miss the sidelong glances. He’d kept peace for three years where his father had waged endless war, doubled the pack’s wealth through alliances rather than conquest—and still, some longed for the old ways. “That went well. ” His mother’s voice cut through the quiet as she entered from a side door.
Vau straightened, masking his exhaustion. “Reynolds is predictable. ”
Alara studied him, head tilted. “I’ve been thinking about what we discussed,” she said.
“The Meer pack’s daughter isn’t the only suitable candidate for Luna. ”
Vau suppressed a sigh. “Not this again, Mother. ”
“The Blake pack has two daughters of age—both accomplished and beautiful.
”
“I don’t have time for this,” Vau snapped, exiting the room. “A powerful mate strengthens alliances,” Alara continued, following him. “I’ve arranged interviews with three suitable candidates next week. ”
The thought of formal meetings while battling these migraines made his stomach turn.
But he recognized the strategic necessity. A mate would silence those who questioned his authority. “Fine,” he conceded, hoping to end the conversation. “Send me their profiles beforehand.
”
Alara smiled. “Of course, darling. Oh, and I’ve arranged a position for the wolfess girl with the Hansen pack. We could send her tomorrow.
”
Vau stopped. “Send her tomorrow? So soon? She stays.
My investigation into her situation isn’t complete. We still don’t know who the father of her child is, and I’m not comfortable letting her go where she might not be protected should he turn up. ”
“It’s been a month, Vau,” Alara reminded him. “If no one claimed responsibility by now—”
“She stays,” he growled, voice leaving no room for argument.
His wolf stirred beneath his skin, though he kept his eyes from flashing. Alara studied him, unreadable. Then with a sigh, she relented. “As you wish.
” A pause. “But consider how it looks to have a pregnant, unmated wolfess girl in your household while you meet potential mates. ”
Without waiting for his response, she glided from the room, leaving Vau alone with the pounding in his skull and the unshakable certainty that Sasha belonged under his protection—whatever the cost to his reputation. —
Sasha had found her rhythm within the Alpha’s household.
The initial hostility from some staff members had faded, replaced by cautious acceptance—something that almost felt like belonging. This morning, she moved through the east wing with quiet efficiency, dusting shelves in the library when a flutter stirred inside her. She stilled, her hand instinctively resting on her slightly rounded belly. “Hello, you,” she whispered, a soft smile spreading across her face.
The first movements of her child, light as butterfly wings. “Sasha,” Helen appeared in the doorway. “Mrs. Winters needs someone to change the linens in the Alpha’s quarters.
Nina’s out sick. ”
A strange flutter—this one not from the baby—passed through Sasha. “The Alpha’s personal rooms? ”
“Don’t worry, he should be in meetings all day,” Helen assured her.
“Just be quick about it. ”
Ten minutes later, Sasha stood outside his door, fresh linens in her arms. She knocked softly. No answer.
She tried again, a little louder. Still nothing. Taking a deep breath, she carefully pushed the door open. Darkness greeted her—the heavy curtains were drawn, allowing only the faintest sliver of daylight.
She hesitated at the threshold, her eyes slow to adjust. “Hello? ” she called softly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. As her vision cleared, the Alpha’s chamber gradually took shape—a vast space dominated by a massive four-poster bed, its rumpled sheets disturbed only on one side.
A small, intimate detail that made him seem more human somehow. Then she heard it. A low, pained whine from the far corner. A massive shadow shifted near the window.
Not a shadow—a wolf. Silvery-gray fur, impossibly large, his body curled into itself, massive head resting on his paws. Even in the dim light, she saw the tension in his posture, the way his ears flattened against his skull. Sasha froze, the linens clutched to her chest.
Shifters rarely took wolf form indoors. Something was wrong. She took a hesitant step forward. The wolf’s head snapped up, ice-blue eyes locking onto hers.
A warning growl rumbled through the room, vibrating in her bones. “Alpha? ” she whispered. He rose, shoulders hunched, hackles raised.
Another growl, deeper this time, teeth flashing—a clear message: *get out*. “I—I came to change your linens,” she stammered, gesturing weakly with the bundle in her arms. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—”
“Mrs. Winters’ voice cut through the hallway.
“Sasha? Are you in there? Is everything all right? ”
The wolf stiffened, his ears swiveling toward the door, his growl turning silent but more dangerous, lips curling back in warning.
Understanding clicked into place. He didn’t want to be seen like this. Moving swiftly, Sasha stepped back to the door, opening it just enough to show her face. “Everything’s fine, Mrs.
Winters,” she said, forcing calm into her voice. “I was just deciding where to start. The curtains are drawn, and I didn’t want to disturb anything. ”
Mrs.
Winters huffed. “Yes, making a bed is quite the complex affair,” she deadpanned. “Be quick about it. And don’t snoop.
”
“Of course, ma’am. ”
As the housekeeper’s footsteps faded, Sasha closed the door and turned back. The wolf was still standing, still tense, but the immediate aggression had ebbed. Now he watched her with wary intensity.
“You’re in pain,” she said softly, recognizing the signs—the way he held his head, the slight tremble in his massive frame. Like that day in the car. “A migraine? ”
The wolf snorted and turned away, a clear dismissal.
“Shifters don’t get sick,” she insisted, worried. “Which is why it’s concerning that you clearly are. ”
He snarled, flashing his teeth again. *Back off.
*
But Sasha had spent her life reading wolves—forced to observe since they rarely deigned to speak to a wolfess girl like her. And beneath the aggression, she saw it. Vulnerability. Fear.
“You don’t want anyone to know,” she murmured. “Because an Alpha can’t show weakness. ”
The wolf went very still. “I could fetch the doctor,” she offered.
A ferocious growl rattled the room, sending her heart racing. The message was unmistakable. *No one can know. *
“I understand,” she said, “and I promise no one will hear of it from me.
”
A thick silence settled between them—Alpha and servant, wolf and wolfess. “I could bring you some tea,” she offered, then realized how ridiculous that sounded. “Or maybe there’s another way I can help. ”
His blue eyes watched her wearily, pain evident despite his attempts to mask it.
“Please,” she said. “Let me try. ”
After a long moment, he exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. Not agreement exactly, but not refusal either.
“I’ll be right back. ”
When Sasha returned with a bowl of cool water and clean cloths, the wolf hadn’t moved. His breathing was shallow, rhythmic with pain. She set the bowl nearby.
“Alpha? ” she said softly. One blue eye opened. “May I?
”
A pause. Then a slight, nearly imperceptible dip of his massive head. Heart pounding, Sasha knelt beside him and dipped a cloth in the cool water. Carefully, she pressed it to his brow.
The wolf flinched, a low growl rumbling through him. But as the coolness seeped in, it faded. Encouraged, she placed another cloth at the back of his neck, where his skull met his spine. Another deep exhale.
“My mother had terrible headaches,” she murmured. “Sometimes they were so bad she couldn’t bear to be touched. But the cold helped. ”
As she spoke, her fingers worked gently, massaging the tense muscles at the base of his skull.
His fur was thick and soft beneath her touch. The wolf didn’t move, barely breathed, until she found a particularly sensitive spot. His whole body shuddered, a sound escaping him that was somewhere between a groan and a sigh. “There?
” she asked. He pressed slightly into her hand. *Yes. *
She continued, slow and deliberate.
Bit by bit, the massive wolf melted beneath her hands, tension draining from his powerful frame. Minutes passed in silence. Then, so gradually she almost missed it, a change began. His fur shimmered, receding.
The broad shape of his wolf form shrunk, shifting bones realigning, snapping softly into place. Sasha gasped, pulling back as Vau knelt before her again—human, completely naked, his muscled form gleaming in the dim light, his breath still unsteady from the shift. Her face burned. She fumbled for a cloth, thrusting it toward him.
“Alpha, you’re—I should—” she stammered, trying not to look. Vau, unconcerned with his nudity, regarded her through heavy-lidded eyes still clouded with pain. “Don’t stop,” he rasped. “Please.
”
Swallowing hard, Sasha draped the cloth over his lap, her fingers brushing his thigh for the briefest moment. A spark shot through her, and she quickly looked away. Hesitantly, she returned her hands to his temples, working gently. A groan slipped from him, deep and quiet.
“Thank you, Sasha,” he murmured, voice low, almost intimate. Their eyes met. The air thickened, charged with something unspoken. —
Later that afternoon, Mrs.
Winters summoned Sasha to her office, her expression bewildered. “The Alpha has requested you be reassigned,” she announced. “Effective immediately. You’ll serve as his personal attendant.
”
“Me? ” Sasha blinked in confusion, her cheeks warming at the memory of their encounter. “But I’m incompetent. Pregnant.
”
“Yes, I made those points quite clear,” Mrs. Winters sighed. “Nevertheless, the Alpha was most insistent. Said you have, and I quote, ‘a calming presence.
’”
As Sasha left the office, her hand drifted to her belly, where the baby fluttered again—almost as if in approval. —
Darkness surrounded Sasha—thick, velvety, and warm. She felt him before she saw him. Strong arms wrapping around her, a solid chest pressing against her back.
Warm breath skated along the curve of her throat, followed by the slow, deliberate scrape of teeth. Her lips parted, a soft gasp escaping as his hands moved over her—slow, reverent, mapping her as if he’d done it a thousand times before. Sasha’s fingers twitched. A large hand found hers, fingers intertwining, holding her steady.
The touch was gentle but unyielding, his grip an unspoken plea: *stay with me. *
Her body responded on instinct, attuned to him—the weight of his body, the rough drag of his calloused fingers against her skin. “Vau,” she whispered, her voice trembling with need. A growl rumbled from deep within his chest, his blue gaze locking onto hers.
“My mate. ”
She barely had time to gasp before his lips claimed hers. His hands buried in her hair, drinking her in like he’d been starving for her. A whimper rose in her throat—his taste, his touch, the way his body pressed flush against hers.
The world shrank to nothing but him. His lips trailed lower, pressing reverent kisses along the column of her throat. When he reached the curve of her shoulder, Sasha tilted her head, bearing her neck in silent invitation. A deep, shuddering breath escaped him.
Then his mouth sealed over her skin, and something inside her ignited. Pleasure crashed. Their bond roared to life, his emotions bleeding into hers—his happiness, his desire, his love—tangling with her own. It was too much, not enough, everything.
Her fingers found the mark on his neck. *Her mark. * She traced it with trembling reverence. He shuddered against her, his arms tightening as if she might slip away.
Light burst behind her eyelids, and she woke with a gasp, his name on her lips. “Oh, gods. ” She whispered into the darkness of her small room, pressing her hands to her burning cheeks, mortification flooding through her. She’d just had an intensely erotic dream about the Alpha.
Her employer. The most powerful wolf in the territory. “What is wrong with me? ” she groaned, sitting up.
The clock read just past three in the morning. Her baby kicked suddenly. At nearly six months, there was no mistaking her condition now; her rounded belly had become her most defining feature. “Can’t sleep either?
” she whispered, wiping at her eyes. “I guess I should get you used to it soon. You’ll be waking me up to eat every couple of hours. ”
The dream lingered in her mind despite her efforts to banish it.
It had felt so real—the way she’d known exactly how to touch Vau, how his body would respond, the mark on his neck that had somehow belonged to her. A sob rose in her throat, sudden and overwhelming. Pregnancy had made her emotions raw, exposed. But this felt different—a deep, visceral grief for something she couldn’t even name.
*I’m so desperate for my baby to have a father that I’m dreaming about the Alpha*, she told herself bitterly. The thought only made her cry harder. Who even was her baby’s father? Why couldn’t she remember?
What would she tell him when he grew up and asked about a man Sasha didn’t know? Unable to bear the confines of her small room, she slipped from bed, needing air, space. The gardens were peaceful at night, moonlight bathing the flowers in silver. Sasha found her usual stone bench, partly hidden, and heaved sobs racked her body as months of fear and uncertainty poured out of her.
Her arms wrapped protectively around her belly as she rocked back and forth. “I’m sorry,” she whispered to her unborn child between sobs. “I’m sorry I don’t know who your father is. I’m sorry I’m all you have.
”
She was so consumed by her grief that she didn’t hear the approaching footsteps until a voice cut through her cries. “Sasha? ”
She looked up, startled and mortified, to find Vau standing before her. His hair was disheveled, his chest bare beneath an open shirt.
The sight of him, so similar to her dream, made her flush with embarrassment. “Alpha,” she stammered, hastily wiping her tears. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
Before she could finish, Vau was beside her. “What’s wrong?
” he asked, his voice low and urgent. “Is it the baby? ”
Sasha shook her head, unable to speak through her tears. She tried to compose herself, to remember her place, but another sob escaped her instead.
Strong arms wrapped around her. The action was unexpected, probably inappropriate, but Sasha couldn’t resist. She collapsed against her Alpha’s chest, her tears soaking his skin. “Sasha,” he soothed, one hand stroking her hair.
“It’s all right. You’re safe. ”
His body was warm, solid, real—nothing like the phantom lover from her dreams. “I’m sorry,” she managed between diminishing sobs.
“I don’t know what’s come over me. ”
“Don’t apologize,” he murmured, his chin resting atop her head. “Whatever it is, we’ll fix it. ”
The simple promise brought fresh tears to her eyes, but these were gentler, almost relieved.
“It’s nothing that can be fixed,” she admitted. “I was just thinking about my baby growing up without a father. About how I can’t even remember who he was. ”
Vau’s arms tightened around her.
“You still don’t remember anything? ” he asked gently. “Nothing real,” she said, thinking of her dream with a flush. “I feel so incomplete.
Like I’m missing something vital. Something I should remember. ”
“Perhaps it’s for the best,” Vau said softly. “Sometimes what we forget is what would hurt us most to remember.
”
They sat in silence for a few moments, his hand continuing its soothing path along her back. Gradually, Sasha became acutely aware of their position—her body pressed against his, his bare chest warm beneath her cheek. She didn’t want to move away. “What are you doing out here so late?
” she asked instead. Vau sighed, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Insomnia,” he confessed reluctantly. Sasha pulled back slightly to look at his face in the moonlight.
The shadows under his eyes were more pronounced, his features drawn with exhaustion. “The headaches? ” she asked. “Just stress, probably.
”
Before she could argue, the baby kicked hard against her belly—against Vau’s side, where they were still pressed together. His eyes widened in surprise. “Was that—? ”
Sasha nodded, smiling.
Without thinking, she took his hand and placed it on the spot where her child was most active. “Here. Wait a moment. ”
For several heartbeats, nothing happened.
Then the baby kicked again, and Vau’s expression became possessive, almost primal. His hand laid wider across her belly, as if trying to cover as much of it as possible. Sasha had to bite back a moan. “My baby likes you,” she whispered, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Vau didn’t laugh or pull away as she expected. Instead, his eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to where his hand rested on her rounded belly. “I’m glad,” he said quietly. —
Vau was reviewing yet another trade proposal, his migraine pounding viciously, when movement outside his office window caught his eye.
Sasha. She was crossing the courtyard toward the servant’s entrance, carrying a bike. Before he fully processed what he was doing, Vau was on his feet, striding outside. “What do you think you’re doing?
” His voice came out sharper than intended. Sasha startled, nearly dropping the old bicycle. “Did you need anything, Alpha? ” she asked, concerned.
“I’m sorry, I have some time off this morning for my doctor’s appointment. You were just about to ride that death trap to town? ” Vau interrupted, horrified. Sasha’s cheeks flushed.
At almost six months pregnant, she practically glowed, her body softly rounded with new life. “It’s only three miles, and the weather is nice. ”
“Three miles? ” His voice rose in disbelief.
“You’re twenty-three weeks along. ”
Several gardeners paused, watching their exchange with interest. Vau didn’t care. “It’s just a doctor’s appointment,” Sasha said, trying to be reasonable.
“It’s not an emergency. ”
“My driver will take you. ” Vau shifted on his feet. “In fact, I’ll accompany you myself.
”
“That’s really not necessary. ”
“I insist. ”
He took the bicycle from her hands, passing it to a nearby groundskeeper. “We leave in ten minutes.
”
As he strode back inside to grab his jacket, Vau congratulated himself on being a considerate employer. It was his duty to ensure the well-being of his staff, after all. He still hadn’t uncovered who had taken advantage of Sasha, but the least he could do now was ensure she and her child were healthy and protected. That’s what any Alpha would do.
Still, he was vaguely offended he hadn’t been informed of Sasha’s appointment beforehand. How was he supposed to ensure her well-being if he was kept in the dark? And at least now she wouldn’t be wobbling down country roads on that ancient bike. That wouldn’t be good for the baby.
His thoughts stumbled as a question rose unbidden: *What will the child look like? Will they have Sasha’s storm-gray eyes, or his blue ones instead? *
Vau blinked. *Ridiculous thought.
Obviously the baby won’t have my eyes. *
He turned to find Sasha watching him, ready to go. “Alpha? ”
“Are you ready?
”
She hesitated. “You really don’t need to come with me. I’m sure you have more important matters to attend to. ”
“Not at all,” he lied, though it didn’t feel like one.
“Just concerned for a vulnerable pack member. That’s all. ”
Then her scent shifted—warm vanilla and honey. Pleasure.
Something primal stirred within him. It didn’t diminish, especially when they were seated together in his car. Vau was hyperaware of her every movement—the way she stroked her belly absently, the soft hum she made when the baby kicked. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, resisting the urge to reach over and feel those movements beneath his palm.
“Are you comfortable? I can adjust the temperature. ”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. He adjusted it anyway.
At the clinic, Vau remained standing as Sasha settled onto the examination table, his body angled protectively between her and the door. “Everything looks good,” the doctor said, measuring Sasha’s belly. “Right on track for twenty-four weeks. ”
“And the baby?
” Vau asked before Sasha could. “Is it developing properly? ”
The doctor prepped the ultrasound machine. Vau’s throat tightened when the sound of a heartbeat filled the room—a rapid, rhythmic whooshing.
“It’s quite strong,” he managed, voice rough. Sasha met his gaze, surprised. Without thinking, he took her hand, their fingers twining together. “I’ll give you two a moment while I fetch the printouts,” the doctor said, slipping from the room.
Alone, Vau was acutely aware of their connection—her hand in his, the lingering sound of her child’s heartbeat, the sweet scent of her happiness mingling with his own. “Would you like to go shopping after this? ” he asked suddenly. “For the baby?
”
His rational mind protested. *The Alpha doesn’t take servants shopping. Send an assistant. Have Mrs.
Winters handle it. * But the thought of anyone else providing for her, caring for her, made his wolf bristle with possessive anger. Sasha’s scent sweetened. “Alpha, you’ve already done so much.
”
“I want to,” he interrupted. Then, softer: “Please. ”
She hesitated, then nodded, her lips curving into a smile that made his heart stutter. They spent the afternoon in a dizzying whirl of baby boutiques.
Vau bought everything Sasha showed even the slightest interest in—tiny clothes in soft yellows and greens, a handcrafted wooden cradle, plush toys she stroked with wondering fingers. Each time she protested, something fierce rose in him—a need to provide, to ensure she wanted for nothing. It was primal, overwhelming, almost frightening. By lunch, his phone buzzed—a reminder of the council meeting he was missing.
He ignored it. “Would you like to look at some clothes for yourself? ” he suggested. “Something more comfortable than those uniforms?
” His gaze traveled over her—the fullness of her breasts, the curve of her hips, the proud swell of her belly carrying new life. Heat coiled in his stomach. “Do—do I look that bad? ” she asked, lowering her eyes.
“You’re gorgeous,” he corrected, satisfaction flaring when her lips parted in a surprised little gasp. By late afternoon, the car was filled with packages. Sasha protested each purchase, but her delight was evident—the way she touched each item, the sweetness of her scent, the soft thank-yous she offered. *This is becoming an obsession*, Vau acknowledged as he added yet another bag to their collection.
As they crossed the parking lot toward his car, Vau noticed Sasha tensing beside him, her steps faltering slightly. “What’s wrong? ” he asked, immediately alert. “Nothing,” she said, but her eyes darted to a point over his shoulder, then quickly away again.
Vau turned, scanning the area. He saw only the usual afternoon shoppers moving between vehicles. “Sasha,” he pressed. “Tell me.
”
She hesitated, then sighed. “There’s a girl who seems to be following us. I’ve noticed her several times throughout the day, in different stores. ”
Vau’s protective instincts flared instantly.
“Where? ”
“By the blue sedan, three rows over. Strawberry blonde, blue eyes, wearing a baseball cap. It might be a coincidence, but she keeps looking at us.
And something feels wrong. ”
Vau followed her gaze, immediately spotting the young woman leaning against a car, her attention fixed unabashedly on them. When she realized Vau was looking back, her eyes widened briefly—but she didn’t look away or attempt to hide. “Stay here,” he told Sasha, already striding toward the stranger.
“Vau, wait,” Sasha called, hurrying after him. The girl straightened as they approached, neither fleeing nor appearing particularly intimidated. She was human, Vau noted—no wolf scent about her, which made her interest in them all the more puzzling. “Is there a reason why you’re staring at her?
” Vau demanded, gesturing to Sasha, who caught up and placed a restraining hand on his arm. The girl held his gaze, seeming to consider her response. “Yes,” she said eventually. Vau fought down a growl.
“Well? What is it? ”
The girl briefly glanced at Sasha. “She’s hot,” she replied with a shrug.
Vau and Sasha both froze in surprise. “You’re a lucky guy,” the girl added, a hint of challenge in her blue eyes. “Can I go now, big guy? ”
She walked away, hands in her pockets, disappearing among the parked cars.
“That was a bit much, don’t you think? ” Sasha said once the girl was gone. “She was just a human, I suppose,” Vau conceded, suddenly aware of a sharp pain building behind his eyes. The afternoon sun seemed too bright, the parking lot tilting oddly around him.
“Vau? ” Sasha’s voice came from far away. “What’s wrong? ”
“Nothing,” he tried to say, but the words slurred slightly.
Black spots danced across his vision. His headache pounded with vicious intensity. The world spun abruptly, and he found himself leaning heavily against the side of a car, stomach heaving. He was vaguely aware of Sasha beside him, her cool hand on his brow, her voice soothing in his ear.
He wished, suddenly and desperately, that this was his—this woman, this child, this life. But something was wrong with him. The headaches, the tremors, the cold sweats. The truth was, he wasn’t fit to mate with anyone.
When his vision cleared momentarily, he caught sight of the blonde human watching them intently from a distance. Their eyes met briefly before another wave of pain crashed over him, forcing him to close his eyes. —
Sasha watched Vau from the doorway of his study, her concern deepening with each passing day. He sat at his desk, shoulders hunched, fingers pressed to his temples, though he tried to hide it.
His condition was worsening—this morning his hand had trembled so badly he couldn’t hold his teacup, and the other day at the mall, he’d almost passed out. “Is there anything else you need, Alpha? ” she asked softly. He straightened immediately, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
“No, thank you, Sasha. I’m fine. ”
The lie hung between them, familiar and frustrating. “Perhaps I could call a Healer?
”
“That won’t be necessary,” he cut her off gently but firmly. “Just a headache. Nothing to worry about. ”
But Sasha did worry.
His symptoms nagged at her, tugging at the edges of a memory she couldn’t quite grasp. The headaches, the tremors, the insomnia—he refused to acknowledge them, but she knew they plagued him. That night, as she prepared for bed, the memory finally surfaced. Her mother, in the months before her death, pressing her fingers to her temples just as Vau did.
Hands shaking as she brushed Sasha’s hair. Days when she couldn’t rise from bed at all. The realization slammed into her. *It can’t be*, she whispered, heart pounding.
But the parallels were too strong to ignore. Her mother had wasted away, the healers murmuring about a broken bond—a mate who left. Sasha knew what she had to do. “I need to visit my aunt,” she told Mrs.
Winters. The housekeeper’s eyebrows rose. “After how they treated you? I think you’d want nothing more to do with them.
”
“It’s important. Just for a few hours. ”
Mrs. Winters sighed and arranged for a driver.
The house where Sasha had spent her childhood looked smaller now—the paint peeling, the garden overgrown. She steeled herself before knocking. Rita answered, her eyes widening before narrowing with suspicion. “What are you doing here?
Carl will have a fit if he sees you. ”
“He’s at work,” Sasha said. She’d timed her visit carefully. “I need to speak with you.
”
Rita hesitated, then stepped aside. “Make it quick. ”
The living room was exactly as Sasha remembered—the same worn furniture, the same faded photographs. But she was different now.
Stronger. “Well? ” Rita prompted. “I need to ask about my mother.
”
Rita stiffened. “What about her? ”
“Her death. What happened before.
”
Her aunt’s lips pressed into a thin line. “If you’re looking for an inheritance, you’re wasting your time. She left nothing but debts and a child I had to raise. ”
The barb slid off Sasha.
“I was five when she died. My memories are incomplete. I need to know what happened. ”
Rita turned, straightening a picture frame that didn’t need straightening.
“Must we do this? ”
“I need to know. Her symptoms. ”
Silence.
When Rita finally spoke, her voice held an edge of pain. “Why dig this up now? What good will it do? ”
Sasha studied her, surprised to see grief behind the hostility.
“I didn’t think you cared that much. ”
“She was my baby sister,” Rita snapped. “And I’m her daughter,” Sasha replied evenly. “Yet you never showed an ounce of affection toward me.
”
“Because you took her from me,” Rita’s voice cracked with fury. The words hung heavy between them. “She was a talented shifter, a good mate. Hers should have been a happy match.
” Rita’s jaw clenched. “But she had the misfortune of bearing you—a wolfess child. Her mate couldn’t bear the humiliation. He left because of you.
And it killed her. ”
Her gaze pierced Sasha, as if expecting an apology. Sasha exhaled, fingers brushing her collarbone. “I didn’t ask to be born without a wolf.
” There was no anger in her words. No bitterness. Just truth. Rita’s eyes flashed.
“My mate didn’t want you here either. I had to fight to keep you. It put a strain on our relationship for years. ”
“Thank you,” Sasha said.
Rita blinked. “But you don’t have to do that anymore,” Sasha continued. “I just want to know my mother’s symptoms. That’s all.
”
Rita exhaled sharply, arms crossing. “You’d only have to borrow a Healer’s book to know them. ” She listed them off: “Migraines, at first. Hand tremors.
Then insomnia. Nausea. Eventually, a fever that drove her into a deep sleep she never woke from. ”
The words hit Sasha like a punch to the gut.
Migraines. Hand tremors. Insomnia. Exactly what Vau had been experiencing.
Memories flashed—her mother pressing fingers to her temples, Vau doing the same. Her mother’s hands shaking, Vau’s trembling fingers. Rita eyed her wearily. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.
”
Sasha barely heard her. She was already moving. “I have to go. ”
Bonding sickness—a condition that occurs when mates are separated.
Her mother had died from it when her mate abandoned them. And now Vau showed the same symptoms. Which meant he had a mate. Someone he was bonded to but separated from.
Someone he loved so deeply that the separation was killing him. A sharp ache stabbed through her chest. She’d known, of course, that Vau would eventually marry. But the thought of him already having a mate—of loving someone so deeply that separation was killing him—
*What is wrong with me?
* she berated herself. *The Alpha is dying, and I’m selfishly nursing a broken heart over a man who was never mine to begin with. *
The driver pulled up, but before Sasha could enter, a hand gripped her shoulder. She whirled, startled, coming face to face with a young woman—strawberry blonde hair, intense blue eyes.
The same woman from the mall last week. “You,” Sasha exclaimed, stepping back. “Finally, I found you,” the woman said urgently, grabbing her wrist. “We need to talk.
”
“Are you stalking me? ” Sasha demanded, yanking her arm free. “No—well, yes, kind of. But look, it’s important.
It’s about your baby. ”
Protective instinct surged through Sasha like wildfire. “Leave my baby alone. ”
The driver moved swiftly, grabbing the woman’s arm and shoving her to the ground before getting Sasha to the car.
“You didn’t have to be so rough,” Sasha cried. “She’s just a human. ”
The driver didn’t flinch. “Alpha’s orders.
No one threatens you or the child. No exceptions. ”
As they drove away, Sasha saw the woman watching. But a more pressing concern occupied her thoughts.
If Vau truly had bonding sickness, he needed his mate immediately—before the fever stage, before he slipped into the sleep her mother never woke from. She rushed into the mansion, searching for him. She checked his study first, then the library, then the council chamber. No one had seen him since morning.
Fear growing, she finally approached his private chambers. “Alpha? ” she called. Silence.
Heart pounding, she tried the handle. The door swung open. The room was dark, curtains drawn against the afternoon sun. But even in the dimness, she could make out his form on the bed—unnaturally still.
“Vau? ” she whispered, rushing to his side. His skin was hot to the touch. His breathing was shallow.
When she lifted his eyelids, his pupils were dilated, unfocused. The fever stage had begun. —
“Vau,” Sasha’s voice broke as she shook his shoulder. “Vau, please wake up.
”
His skin burned beneath her touch. His breathing was shallow and labored. “Please,” she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. She brushed damp hair from his forehead, desperate.
Then she did the only thing her racing mind could think of. She pressed her lips to his. It wasn’t a calculated decision—just pure instinct. When she pulled back, his eyelids fluttered.
A soft groan escaped him. “Sasha? ” His voice was rough, confused. Relief crashed through her so powerfully she sobbed.
“You’re awake. ” She helped him sit up, supporting his back. He winced, one hand going to his temple, the other steadying himself on the mattress. “What happened?
” he asked, blinking. “You tell me,” Sasha said, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I know your secret, Vau. I know why you’re sick.
”
He stared at her, genuinely confused. “What secret? ”
“Please don’t lie anymore,” she implored, taking his hands in hers. “Not now.
My mother died from bonding sickness. It’s killing you, just like it killed her. ”
Vau frowned. “Your mother?
”
“You need to reunite with your mate,” Sasha continued, frantic. “Where is she? Why are you separated? Whatever happened between you, it can’t be worth your life.
”
Vau’s expression shifted from confusion to concern. “Sasha,” he said gently. “I don’t have a mate. ”
“Of course you do!
The symptoms are identical to my mother’s. ”
“Sasha. ” He interrupted, taking her hand. “I swear to you, I have never taken a mate.
”
There was no hint of deception in his gaze—only genuine concern for her. Remarkably, despite his own suffering. “No mate? ” she echoed, bewildered.
“I think I’d remember something that significant,” he said, a weak smile tugging at his lips. Sasha sat back, mind racing. “But the symptoms,” she insisted. “They’re exactly the same.
”
Vau shook his head. “Perhaps it’s something else entirely. A coincidence. ”
“Well, whatever it is, it’s serious,” Sasha said firmly.
“Enough is enough, Vau. You’re seeing a Healer today. Right now. No more excuses.
No more hiding it. ”
“Sasha—”
She couldn’t bear to hear another protest. She pressed her lips to his—this time deliberate, purposeful. His surprise lasted only a heartbeat before he was responding, one hand sliding into her hair to draw her closer.
When she retreated, breathless, a hint of color had returned to his cheeks. “What was that for? ” he asked. “Motivation,” she said shakily.
“Did it work? ”
His answer was to pull her back to him, his mouth finding hers with newfound urgency. This kiss was deeper, hungrier—months of unspoken longing poured into a single connection. Sasha melted against him, all thoughts of Healers and illness momentarily forgotten.
Her hands moved to his chest, feeling the strong beat of his heart beneath her fingertips. His own hands roamed her back, her sides, drawing her closer into his lap. “We shouldn’t,” she murmured against his lips. “You need a Healer.
”
“I need you,” he countered, trailing kisses down the sensitive column of her throat. “I feel better already. ”
And strangely, he did look better—color returning to his face, strength to his movements. “Vau,” she gasped as his teeth grazed the juncture of her neck and shoulder.
“We need to stop thinking,” he murmured against her skin. His hands found the buttons of her blouse, deftly unfastening them one by one. He kissed her deeply as the fabric fell away, his eyes darkening as they took in the sight of her. His gaze traveled over her changed body with reverence rather than hesitation.
“Beautiful,” he whispered. “So beautiful. ”
The baby chose that moment to kick hard enough that Vau felt it against his abdomen. His eyes widened in wonder.
And before Sasha could feel self-conscious, he slid down her body, pressing his lips to the rounded curve of her belly in a kiss that felt like worship. “Hello, little one,” he murmured against her skin. His hands framed her belly with tender reverence, thumbs stroking gentle circles. He continued his reverent exploration, pressing feather-light kisses across the taut skin of her belly before working his way back up to capture her lips once more.
They were so lost in each other that neither heard the knock at the door. It was only when Mrs. Winters’ voice cut through the haze of desire that reality crashed back. “Alpha?
The Luna sent me to—”
Sasha jerked away from Vau, grabbing for her discarded blouse as Mrs. Winters averted her eyes. “Leave us,” Vau said, his arm still around Sasha’s waist, clearly unwilling to let her go. “I apologize for the intrusion, Alpha,” Mrs.
Winters said, eyes fixed firmly on the floor. “But the Luna has requested Miss Sasha’s presence immediately. She was most insistent. ”
Vau’s arm tightened possessively.
“Sasha is occupied at present. ”
Shame and embarrassment flooded through Sasha. *What am I doing? He’s the Alpha.
I’m a servant, pregnant with another man’s child. *
“I’ll be right there,” she said, slipping from Vau’s embrace. “Sasha,” he protested. “You need to rest,” she told him hastily, buttoning her blouse.
“I’ll be back with a Healer. ”
His expression was a mixture of frustration and resignation. “If that’s what you want,” he said reluctantly. Sasha didn’t think it was fair how cute he looked when he pouted.
“What I want is for you to be well,” she said, unable to resist pressing one more quick kiss to his lips before backing away. “I won’t be long. ”
Mrs. Winters waited in the hallway, her expression carefully blank as Sasha emerged from the Alpha’s chambers.
“Your blouse is buttoned incorrectly,” she said quietly. Sasha flushed, attempting to smooth the tangled waves Vau’s eager hands had created. “Mrs. Winters, I—”
“You should be careful, Sasha.
” Mrs. Winters met her gaze. Instead of judgment, it was worry Sasha found in her eyes. “His mother will never allow it.
Never. ”
“I know,” Sasha began. “No, you don’t know. ” Mrs.
Winters grabbed her wrist, warning. “She adores her son. She survived her mate’s death for him. She’d do anything for him.
” She shook her head with a troubled frown. “The Luna wants what’s best for Master Vau and for this pack. She had to fight tooth and nail to protect it. And you’re a wolfess, pregnant, a servant.
Not exactly what she envisions. If she finds out about you, she’ll stop at nothing to get rid of you. Nothing. Do you understand?
”
The emphasis carried a weight Sasha couldn’t quite decipher, but it sent a chill down her spine nonetheless. “You should shower and change before seeing the Luna,” Mrs. Winters added, already steering her toward the servant’s stairs. “Quickly, now.
”
—
Twenty minutes later, freshly showered and changed, Sasha stood outside Luna Alara’s private office. Her heart still raced from what had transpired in Vau’s room. The memory of his touch, his taste, the way he’d looked at her—it all felt like a dream already. A dream that must remain just that, she reminded herself firmly.
Whatever had happened between them couldn’t happen again—for both their sakes. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the ornate door. “Enter,” Alara’s voice called. The Luna sat behind a massive desk, elegant as always in a pale blue dress that matched her eyes—Vau’s eyes.
Her smile when she saw Sasha was unexpected. Almost warm. “Ah, Sasha. Thank you for coming so promptly.
”
“Luna. ” Sasha curtsied slightly, then paused, uncertain how to bring up Vau’s condition. Mrs. Winters had said she adored him, and Sasha believed it.
She was Vau’s mother. She needed to deliver the news gently. “I actually needed to speak with you,” Sasha began. “I have wonderful news,” Alara interrupted, her smile widening.
Sasha blinked, thrown off course. “Luna, I appreciate that, but—”
“The father of your child has been found,” Alara announced, cutting through Sasha’s words like a knife through butter. Sasha froze, certain she’d misheard. “What?
” she whispered. It made no sense. There was no father—at least none that she remembered. And now, suddenly, there was?
“A man who knows you well. More like, he’s come forward,” Alara continued, seemingly oblivious to Sasha’s shock. She smiled warmly, gesturing to an adjacent door. “Would you like to meet him?
”
—
Sasha stared at the man beside Luna Alara, struggling to process what was happening. He was tall, with light brown hair and warm eyes—conventionally handsome in an unremarkable way. A complete stranger. “So it’s true,” he murmured, studying her with an odd mix of curiosity and resignation.
“Sasha,” Alara said smoothly. “This is Trevor Ellis. He’s from the Southern Ridge pack. ”
Trevor offered a hesitant smile.
“Hello, Sasha. ”
She searched his face for any flicker of recognition. Nothing. “I don’t understand,” she said, her voice small.
Alara stepped beside her, placing a perfectly manicured hand on Sasha’s shoulder. “Vau and I have been investigating since you arrived, trying to locate the father of your child. ”
“Investigating? ” Sasha repeated numbly.
“Of course. You said you couldn’t remember, but someone had to be responsible. Since you rarely left your aunt and uncle’s house, we deduced it was likely someone who visited during an event. ” Alara’s smile sharpened.
“Trevor fit the bill, among a couple of other gentlemen. ”
Trevor sighed. “You really don’t remember me at all? ”
Sasha shook her head.
“I’m sorry, but no. ”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I was afraid of that. We were both pretty drunk that night.
”
“Drunk? ” The word felt wrong in her mouth. “At your uncle’s birthday celebration,” Trevor explained. “Six months ago.
You were in the kitchen drinking wine. ”
A memory stirred. Her uncle’s birthday. The suffocating main party.
Escaping to the kitchen where the staff had been more welcoming. Someone had offered her wine. Then another. “I did drink that night,” she admitted slowly.
“I woke up with the worst hangover of my life. ”
Trevor nodded eagerly. “Exactly. We snuck off to the gardens with a bottle of champagne, and, well—we can all guess what happened.
”
Alara interrupted, gesturing delicately at Sasha’s rounded belly. The implication hung in the air. Her mysterious pregnancy—a drunken encounter with a stranger. Something didn’t feel right.
A dissonance she couldn’t explain. But it made some sense. She had been drinking. She had struggled to remember details the next day.
“Trevor comes from a good, traditional family,” Alara continued smoothly. “He will do his duty. Won’t you, Trevor? ”
He nodded solemnly.
“We will prepare the mating ceremony hastily. My child will not be born without a father. ”
“The mating ceremony? ” The words hit Sasha like a physical blow.
“When? As soon as possible,” Alara said in a reassuring tone. “We’ve made it clear to Trevor’s family what carrying this child while unmated has done to your reputation. It’s unacceptable for you to suffer the consequences alone.
It takes two to make a child. ”
Trevor met her gaze at last. “You will be taken care of. ” His tone was flat.
No warmth, no affection. Just duty. Something inside Sasha shattered at the thought of binding herself for life to a man who viewed her as an obligation. “Hurry along, Sasha,” Alara said briskly.
“Pack your things. ”
“Pack? ” Sasha repeated, barely keeping up with how quickly her life was being rewritten. “Your aunt and uncle have been informed.
They’re expecting you and Trevor at their estate in two days. His family will arrive for the mating ceremony. ” Alara’s smile widened. “I’d be delighted to host it.
It’s been such a pleasure having you here, and I’d love to honor your upcoming bond. ”
She squeezed Sasha’s hand, eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Oh, how relieved you must feel. It’s no easy task raising a child alone.
I should know. ”
There was something in the way she said it—something pointed, as if Vau’s name lingered unspoken in the space between them. “I’ll be waiting in the car,” Trevor said, bowing slightly before leaving. “Charming man,” Alara exclaimed once he was gone.
Sasha suppressed a grimace. “No need to thank me. ” Alara clasped her hand again. “It’s not—I mean, yes, thank you,” Sasha corrected quickly.
“But this isn’t about that. It’s Vau. He’s—”
Alara’s hand tightened around hers, eyes flashing gold. “What of him?
”
“He’s sick,” Sasha blurted, voice trembling. “Very sick. ”
Alara blinked. “Sick?
He never mentioned. He’s been hiding it. ”
The guilt was overwhelming now. She should have told someone sooner.
Tears spilled over. “I should have said something sooner. ”
Alara’s expression shifted, true concern flickering behind her usual polished mask. “I don’t understand.
What’s wrong with him? ”
“I don’t know,” Sasha sobbed. “He has migraines, tremors—and now he’s feverish. ”
Alara’s face paled.
Her fingers loosened, as if something crucial had clicked into place in her mind. Sasha wiped her tears. “My mother died with similar symptoms. She had bonding sickness.
”
As she spoke, her fingers instinctively reached for her collarbone, searching for something that wasn’t there—a gesture she’d made countless times without understanding why. Alara’s gaze sharpened, tracking the movement. She inhaled sharply, then closed her eyes, as if mentally calculating something. A long, tense silence.
Then, softly: “All right. ”
When she opened her eyes, her composure was restored. “Thank you for telling me, Sasha. I’ll take care of it.
”
Sasha clung to the words. “He’s going to be okay? ”
Something flickered in Alara’s gaze. “Yes, he will be.
Don’t worry. ” She brushed cool fingers against Sasha’s cheek—an oddly intimate gesture that left her more confused than ever. “May I see him before I go? ” The words slipped out before she could stop them.
Alara shook her head. “That’s not a good idea. He’s quite attached to you. I don’t think he should worry about your upcoming mating ceremony—not if he’s sick.
Don’t you agree? ”
Sasha nodded reluctantly. Just this morning, she had been in his arms, his lips on hers, his hands worshiping her body. Now she was leaving forever.
“I will see you soon,” Alara said brightly, pulling Sasha into an unexpected hug before gliding from the room, her heels clicking purposefully against the marble. Alone, Sasha sank into a chair, her mind spinning. Trevor was the father. She was to mate with him.
That meant leaving Vau—not forever, of course. She might see him again. But it wouldn’t be the same. It was all happening too fast, she decided.
She forced herself to move, packing her few belongings. Every fiber of her being screamed to see Vau one last time, to feel him again. But his mother was with him now. She’d take care of him.
The baby kicked sharply. “It’s okay,” Sasha whispered, rubbing her belly. “We’ll be okay. ”
The words rang hollow in the corridor.
Helen spotted her with her packed bag. “Sasha? Where are you going? ”
“They found him,” Sasha forced a smile.
“The father of my baby. ”
Helen’s face lit up. “That’s wonderful! Who is he?
”
“Trevor. Southern Ridge pack. ” The words felt foreign. “We’re to be mated in two days.
”
Helen clasped her hands. “That’s everything you hoped for. ”
The joy in her voice was too much. Sasha’s composure broke.
Helen’s smile faltered. “Sasha? What’s wrong? ” Her voice softened.
“It’s about the Alpha, isn’t it? ”
Sasha stiffened. Didn’t answer. “Oh, Sasha.
” Helen sighed. “You’ve fallen for him. ”
It wasn’t a question, and Sasha didn’t bother pretending otherwise. “I know it’s foolish,” she whispered.
“He’s the Alpha, and I’m—”
“It happens,” Helen said softly. “Half the staff is in love with him. How could you not be, when he’s been so kind to you? But, Sasha—”
“I know.
” Sasha interrupted. “It’s impossible. I have to bury these feelings. ”
Helen nodded, squeezing her hand.
“This Trevor—is he a good man? ”
“He seems decent,” Sasha admitted. “Then perhaps, in time, you might build something real with him,” Helen suggested gently. “For your baby’s sake.
”
“Yes,” Sasha agreed, though her heart protested loudly. “It’s better this way. For everyone. ”
With a final squeeze of Helen’s hand, she turned away.
Each step toward the grand entrance was a stab to her broken heart. —
Vau awakened in darkness, his body burning, mind fractured with pain. The room spun even as he lay still. Someone sat beside him.
His mother, her cool hand on his brow. “Where’s Sasha? ” he asked, his voice a rasp of its former strength. Alara’s fingers stilled against his skin.
“She’s gone, darling. ”
“Gone? ” He struggled to sit up, the movement sending daggers of pain through his skull. “Where?
I have to find her. ”
“Lie down, Vau,” his mother’s tone was gentle but firm. “You’re too ill. ”
“She said she’d return,” he insisted, clinging to the memory of Sasha’s lips against his.
“She’s found the father,” Alara said, adjusting the cool cloth on his forehead. “Father? ”
“Of her child. She’ll be mated later today.
”
“No. ” Vau slumped back against the pillows, the room tilting sickeningly around him. “She wouldn’t leave without saying goodbye. ”
His mind flashed to their last moments together—her skin beneath his hands, her soft sighs, the way she’d looked at him with such tenderness.
It had been real. He hadn’t imagined it. “It’s for the best,” Alara continued, her voice soothing. “They’ll be a proper family.
”
Something in her tone cut through the fever’s haze. Vau forced his eyes to focus on her face. “What did you do? ” he asked, his voice steadier than he felt.
A smile played at the corners of her mouth. “What’s best, darling. Always what’s best for you. ”
The room spun again, nausea rising in his throat.
“I could be her family,” he said, struggling once more to rise. But his limbs refused to obey. “No, you can’t,” Alara said, her voice hardening slightly. “She’s not for you.
And besides, you’re sick. Why didn’t you tell me? ”
The question triggered a memory—his mother in bed, pale and thin, forcing smiles whenever he visited her room. Her worried glances when she thought he wasn’t looking.
“I didn’t want to burden you,” he admitted, the truth of it aching in his chest. Alara’s expression softened. She brushed his hair back from his forehead, her touch unexpectedly tender. “It’s going to be okay,” she told him.
“I’m going to fix it. ”
“How? ” he asked, the word slurring slightly as another wave of dizziness washed over him. He didn’t even know what was wrong with him.
How could she help? “You have bonding sickness,” she said simply. Vau scoffed. “Impossible,” he protested, though the room was beginning to fade around the edges.
“I don’t have a mate. ”
As his eyes slipped closed, Sasha’s face appeared in his mind—her gray eyes, her gentle smile, the way she touched him as if he were something precious rather than something powerful. “I’ll just have to get you one, then,” his mother’s voice came from far away. “I only want Sasha,” Vau murmured, fighting to stay conscious.
Alara sighed, the sound weighted with an emotion he couldn’t identify. “You always say that. But you don’t mean it. ”
The strange words pierced through his fading consciousness.
*Always? * He tried to ask what she meant. But darkness pulled him under once more. —
Two days later, Sasha stood before the mirror, barely recognizing herself.
The ceremonial white dress, borrowed from Rita’s closet, pulled tight across her growing belly. In two hours, she’d be mated to Trevor Ellis—bound for life to a man she’d met three days ago. A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it. Followed by another, and another.
“Stop that! ” Rita snapped, dabbing roughly at Sasha’s face with a handkerchief. “You’ll ruin your makeup. ”
“Sorry,” Sasha whispered, trying to compose herself.
Her thoughts kept drifting to Vau. His smile. His touch. The way he’d looked at her that last day, as if she were something precious.
Rita sighed. “We’ll blame it on the hormones. Pregnant women in this family get emotional. ”
This gave Sasha pause.
She rarely got an opening like this with Aunt Rita. She had to take it. “Was my mother emotional when she was pregnant with me? ” she asked carefully.
Rita’s hands stilled as she pinned a flower into Sasha’s hair. “No, actually,” she said after a moment. “She was very happy. Pregnant, radiant even.
Until she got me,” Sasha muttered. “The wolfess girl. ”
Rita’s eyes met Sasha’s in the mirror. “No,” she finally said.
“Even then, she was happy. ”
Something in her aunt’s tone made Sasha turn to face her directly. “She was? ”
“Yes.
” Rita admitted, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. “She loved you exactly as you were. ”
“Then why did she die? ” Sasha reached for her neckline, searching the empty space there.
“Why couldn’t she live, if she was happy with me? ”
Rita looked away. “It’s nearly impossible to survive a broken bond when your father left. ” She trailed off, shaking her head.
“She fought it for your sake. But in the end, the sickness was stronger. ”
Sasha thought of Luna Alara, who had survived after Vau’s father died. What strength that must have taken.
*Will I have to be strong too? * “I’m doing what’s right,” she said, straightening her shoulders. “Marrying the father of my child. ”
Rita nodded, something like discomfort flickering in her eyes.
“What is it? ” Sasha asked, noticing the change. “Nothing,” Rita said too quickly. “Let’s go.
Everyone’s waiting. ”
Sasha took one final look in the mirror, squaring her shoulders. *This is what mothers do*, she told herself firmly. *They sacrifice for their children.
* Her hand moved to her belly, feeling the baby shift beneath her palm. This child deserved everything she never had—a proper family, security, legitimacy. “It’s time,” Rita said softly. Sasha nodded, drawing a deep breath.
Whatever feelings she had for Vau must be buried now. He was the Alpha, destined for a powerful mate who could strengthen the pack—not a wolfess servant carrying another man’s child. She was foolish to ever imagine otherwise. Trevor would provide for them.
He may not love her, may never love her, but he was doing the honorable thing. Her hand reached for the door knob, mind already rehearsing the ceremonial words—words she’d speak in less than an hour. *For my baby*, she thought, gripping the metal. Rita’s hand shot out suddenly, grabbing her wrist.
“Wait,” she said, voice tight. Sasha turned toward her, confused. “What is it? Something wrong with the dress?
”
Rita’s eyes closed briefly, some internal struggle playing across her features. When she opened them, determination had replaced doubt. “You have to know,” she said, the words tumbling out in a rush. “Trevor isn’t the father of your baby.
”
Sasha stared at her aunt, the world seeming to stop around her. “What did you just say? ” she whispered. Rita’s expression shifted between guilt and resolution.
“He said we were together that night at Uncle Carl’s birthday,” Sasha stammered. “A story. A fabrication. ”
“Why would he—Luna Alara arranged the whole thing.
”
“Luna Alara? ” Sasha gasped. “Why would she do that? And why would Trevor agree?
”
Rita laughed—a hollow sound. “Money, of course. The Ellis family is respected but struggling financially. They received a substantial dowry to accept this arrangement.
” Her eyes flicked to Sasha. “As did we. ”
The realization hit Sasha like a physical blow. “She paid you.
To lie to me. To send me away. ”
“Carl wanted to accept immediately. I…” Rita looked away.
“I had reservations. ”
“Yet you went along with it. ” Sasha’s anger rose through her confusion. Rita stood abruptly, pacing the small room.
“What choice did we have? The Luna of our pack ordered it. And besides, it’s still best for you. ”
“How is lying to me about my child’s father what’s best for me?
” Sasha snapped. “Your baby needs a father. Sasha, Trevor is willing. He—‘
“He needs his father,” Sasha interrupted, one hand pressed protectively against her belly.
“His real father. Who’s still out there somewhere. ”
Rita’s face hardened. “No one has come forward, Sasha.
No wolf will have you—a wolfess nobody carrying a child. Trevor is your only chance. ”
“If this is really what’s best for me,” Sasha said, her voice steady despite the tears threatening to fall, “then why did you feel I should know the truth? Why tell me now, minutes before the ceremony?
”
The question hung in the air between them. Rita opened her mouth, then closed it. No answer forthcoming. In that silence, something shifted inside Sasha.
“I’m not doing this,” she said, reaching behind her to unzip the borrowed wedding dress. Rita’s eyes widened. “The Luna herself arranged this match. Sasha, you can’t just run away.
The ceremony, the guests—”
“Let Trevor explain to them why he was willing to claim a child that isn’t his. ”
Sasha slipped on her shoes, mind racing ahead. She needed to get back to Vau. He’d help her.
She just knew it. He’d offer her and her baby protection. Unless—Sasha froze. She’d been telling herself that he was in good hands, being taken care of by Alara.
But what if she’d been wrong? Alara was a liar, a manipulator. Was she even trying to heal Vau? Rita grabbed her arm as she moved toward the door.
“Sasha, please. Be sensible. Even if Trevor isn’t the father, he’s offering you security, respectability. ”
“Based on lies,” Sasha pulled free.
“Aunt Rita, all my life I’ve been told I’m worthless because I’m wolf-less. That I should be grateful for whatever scraps of kindness come my way. ” She straightened her shoulders. “I’m done accepting less than I deserve.
And so is my baby. ”
She slipped through the door and down the hall, her heart pounding against her ribs. Voices drifted up from downstairs—Trevor’s family, the arriving guests for the ceremony. She turned toward the back staircase instead, the servant’s route she knew from childhood.
The kitchen was mercifully empty as she slipped through it and out the back door. The late afternoon sun bathed the garden in golden light as she broke into a run, one hand supporting her belly. She had no plan beyond escape, but her feet carried her toward the road, mind fixed on a single goal. Return to Vau.
A car sat idling at the side of the road, engine running. As Sasha approached, the door swung open to reveal the blonde woman from before. The one who’d been following her. “She’s back,” the woman called, urgency in her voice.
“Finally. ”
Sasha gaped. Out of all the people she’d expected to have to face in order to escape, she hadn’t been thinking of her stalker. “I don’t have time for this,” she muttered, turning away.
“Leave me alone. ”
The woman honked. “Get your butt inside the car,” she snapped. “Your boyfriend is dying, and we don’t have much time.
”
—
Sasha froze mid-step, turning back to the blonde woman. “Listen,” she said, voice low and dangerous. “I don’t know who you are or what you want from me. But I swear, if I ever see you following me again, you won’t get away so easily.
”
The threat hung in the air, but beneath her fierce exterior, Sasha’s heart hammered uncomfortably. “Fine. Not a boyfriend. Your mate, whatever.
” The blonde rolled her eyes. “You want to save him or not? ”
Sasha frowned, shaking her head in confusion. “I don’t have a mate,” she choked out, the words feeling strangely bitter on her tongue.
“Then how do you explain this? ” The blonde gestured toward Sasha’s rounded belly. Instinctively, Sasha’s hands moved to cradle her stomach. She looked down at the swell of her child, then back up, heart racing wildly.
“You know who my child’s father is? ” she asked, voice breaking with sudden emotion. “Oh, come on. ” The blonde threw her head back in exasperation.
“Don’t you? ”
The question struck something deep within Sasha—a truth she’d been circling for months, drawing closer with each interaction, each unexplainable moment of connection. “It’s Vau,” she whispered, the realization washing over her like a wave. “Vau’s the father.
”
“Yep. ” The blonde nodded with a satisfied smirk. “Though, if you’d like him to teach your kid how to hunt or whatever it is you shifters do, I’d get in the car if I were you. ”
Shouts erupted from behind them.
Trevor’s voice, followed by Uncle Carl’s angry bellowing. They’d discovered her absence. Without further hesitation, Sasha slid into the passenger seat, pulling the door closed as the blonde accelerated away from the curb. “Who are you?
” Sasha demanded, adrenaline still coursing through her system. “Why are you helping me? ”
She noticed now that the woman’s head was bandaged, and the wrist resting on the steering wheel was wrapped in a brace—the same hand Vau’s guard had twisted just days ago. “You’re hurt,” she observed, guilt pricking at her conscience.
The woman shrugged dismissively. “My name is Iris,” she said, turning onto the main road. “Seat belt. ”
Sasha complied, mind racing to keep pace with these revelations.
“You’ve been following me around,” she said, fingers automatically reaching for her collarbone in that habitual searching gesture. “Why? ”
“I wasn’t sure at first,” Iris replied, eyes fixed on the road. “I had to be certain.
”
“Certain? ”
“That it was you. I never actually saw you or your mate before all this. ” Iris grimaced at the term.
“But I saw his mother that night. She only has one son. And well, seeing how he keeps ogling you, I figured you had to be his lost mate. ”
A blush crept up Sasha’s cheeks at the word “ogling,” but confusion dominated her thoughts.
“Sorry, but you’re not making a whole lot of sense. ”
Iris groaned, accelerating through a yellow light. “Right, okay, so let’s make it simple. I work for a magician.
”
“A magician? ” Sasha stared at her. “Yeah. He’s very powerful.
Kind of unlimitedly powerful. He grants wishes. ”
“Wishes? ” Sasha interrupted, bewildered.
Iris shot her an annoyed glance. “Are you going to keep interrupting me every couple of words? ”
“Sorry,” Sasha mumbled. “So,” Iris continued after taking a deep breath.
“My employer, the magician. He grants wishes. When someone comes to him with a wish, whatever it is, he makes it come true. He has to.
In fact, he can’t say no. Try to keep that in mind for what comes next. ”
Sasha tried to wrap her mind around this impossible concept. “When you say he can’t say no—what do you mean?
”
“I mean,” Iris said, taking a sharp turn that made Sasha grab the door handle, “that when someone asks him to grant a wish, his magic just does it. And the wish gets granted. Adrien can’t help it. He can’t control it.
It just happens. ”
“Adrien being the magician? ” Sasha clarified. Iris nodded.
“He made a pact with a demon long ago. Now he’s stuck doing its dirty work. He hates it, and his life sucks. ” Her knuckles whitened on the steering wheel.
“Bottom line is, when your mother-in-law came to see him with a wish, he had to obey her. Do you understand? ”
A chill ran down Sasha’s spine. “Wait.
So you’re saying Alara made a wish to your magician boss? ”
“Precisely. ” Iris’s voice dropped lower. “It was nighttime when she came in.
I wasn’t supposed to hear her make the wish, but I did. ” She cast a sidelong glance at Sasha before continuing. “She wished for her son to forget all about his bond with his—and I quote—‘wolfess mate. ’ I’ve never seen you shift once in all the time I’ve been stalking you.
I’m guessing you can’t. ”
Sasha nodded numbly, her mind reeling. “Vau and I were mates? ” she asked, voice shaking.
“We had a bond? ”
“You did,” Iris confirmed. “You just don’t remember it. Nobody does—save for Vau’s mother, myself, and Adrien.
”
Emotions crashed through Sasha like a storm—joy and anger, betrayal and heartbreak. “I can’t believe she did that,” she whispered, hands clenched protectively around her belly. “To Vau. To me.
To the baby. ”
Iris gave her another glance. “So about that,” she said, turning onto a quieter road. “That’s where things kind of took a turn.
Because your in-law didn’t know about the baby. So at no point when she made her wish did she think of mentioning it. And so despite everyone having forgotten about your bond, the baby stayed. ”
Her grip tightened on the wheel.
“When Alara found out about the pregnancy, she was furious. She returned to see Adrien, asking him to fix it. ”
Sasha paled, hands splaying protectively over her belly. “Surely you don’t mean—‘
“I don’t exactly know what she meant by that either,” Iris admitted.
“But what I do know is that Adrien is only able to grant one wish per person, and he’d already granted hers. So he did nothing else. ”
“Oh, how generous of him,” Sasha snapped, anger rising hot and swift. “How kind of him to spare my child—after he’s ruined all our lives.
”
“Your mother-in-law ruined your lives,” Iris retorted sharply. “She chose to make the wish. Chose to separate you from your mate. Adrien, unlike her, has no choice.
”
“He could choose to end it,” Sasha fired back. Iris slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a sudden halt on the shoulder of the road. She turned to Sasha with a glare that could freeze blood. “He tried that,” she said, voice dangerously quiet.
“Multiple times. But he is immortal. Death doesn’t stick. ”
Something in her tone—the coldness, the pain—made Sasha feel a twinge of regret.
This girl was trying to help her, after all. “Did he send you here? ” she asked, softer now. Iris shook her head, starting the car again.
“No. He’s not supposed to intervene unless you come to him with a wish. There’s nothing he can do. ” She quickly added, reading Sasha’s expression, “And I don’t suggest you do that.
Making a wish has a price. What you love most. ”
Sasha’s blood ran cold, her thoughts immediately turning to Vau. “Is that why he’s dying?
Because he’s what his mother loves most? ”
“No, that’s not how it works,” Iris explained. “The price is never someone’s life. Otherwise, no one would ever make a wish—it would guarantee either them or a loved one dying.
And clients have to be very clear on the rules for the contract to work. ”
Sasha nodded, setting aside the confusing magic rules. None of that mattered right now. “So it is bonding sickness, then,” she whispered.
“It’s because we’ve been separated. ”
“That’s what Adrien told me,” Iris confirmed. “Apparently, you’re fine right now because you carry a piece of your mate with you. The baby.
” She glanced pointedly at Sasha’s belly, as if to make sure she hadn’t misunderstood. “The moment you give birth, you’ll start feeling sick as well, unless you take a mate. Same for Vau. ”
Understanding clicked into place.
This explained why Alara had been so desperate to see both Vau and Sasha mated to others. “For you, there might still be a chance,” Iris explained, accelerating as they approached the outskirts of town. “You could potentially mate with someone else and survive. But for Vau, it’s different.
Having been near you and the baby again, his body recognizes you as his mate now. Either he mates with you again, or he dies. And Alara knows this. ”
Sasha asked, horror mounting.
“Adrien tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. She kept insisting there had to be another way. ” Iris’s expression darkened. “Ever since then, Adrien has been wrecked with guilt.
So I thought I’d take matters into my own hands. ”
“So really, you’re doing all this for him,” Sasha observed, studying the younger woman’s profile. Iris shrugged, but a faint blush colored her cheeks. “Let’s call it a ‘kill two birds with one stone’ kind of situation.
”
The Alpha’s estate appeared on the horizon, its imposing silhouette both welcoming and terrifying. Iris pulled up a short distance from the gates. “I can’t go any closer,” she explained. “They’ll recognize me.
And I don’t think your mate’s guards will be very happy to see me again. ”
As Sasha prepared to exit the car, Iris reached into her pocket and pulled out a small silver pendant on a chain. “Take this,” she said, pressing it into Sasha’s palm. “It’s a charm Adrien made for me—for protection against other shifters.
If someone really means to harm you, it will activate and defend you. ”
Sasha stared at the delicate pendant. “Why would you give me this? ”
Iris avoided her gaze.
“Just in case Luna Alara might not be happy to see you. ”
“Thank you,” Sasha said, genuinely moved. She slipped the pendant around her neck, her fingers closing around it where it rested against her collarbone—filling the empty space she’d been touching for months without knowing why. “Now go,” Iris urged.
Heart pounding, Sasha nodded and stepped out into the fading daylight. As Iris’s car disappeared down the road, she turned toward the mansion, determination hardening within her. —
Heart pounding against her ribs, Sasha pressed her back against the wall as two guards passed the alcove where Helen had hidden her. Their voices faded down the corridor, and Helen signaled it was safe to move.
“The Alpha’s condition has worsened,” Helen whispered, leading Sasha through a narrow service passage. “Mrs. Winters says he hasn’t woken since yesterday. They’ve brought in Healers from three territories, and none of them can help him.
”
“Not with bonding sickness,” Sasha said grimly. Helen shot her a questioning glance but didn’t press for explanations. “Mrs. Winters is creating a distraction in the east wing.
We have maybe ten minutes. ”
They reached a panel in the wall that Helen slid open with practiced ease. Sasha squeezed her friend’s hand in silent thanks, then moved silently toward the partially open door that led to Vau’s bedroom. Voices drifted through the gap—Luna Alara’s commanding tone, another female voice responding with uncertainty.
“He needs this,” Alara insisted. “The bond will save him. You said yourself you felt drawn to him at the reception. ”
“Yes, but—” the second voice hesitated.
“He’s unconscious, Luna. It doesn’t feel right to—”
“To save his life? ” Alara interrupted sharply. “This is a mating of necessity, not romance.
The Healers have done all they can. This is our last option. ”
Sasha edged closer to the door, peering through the narrow opening. The scene before her sent ice through her veins.
Vau lay motionless on the massive bed, his skin ashen, his breathing so shallow it was barely visible. Beside him knelt a woman Sasha recognized from the mating reception—the red-haired daughter of an allied pack’s Alpha. Behind them stood Alara, perfectly composed save for the tension around her eyes. “Do it now,” Alara commanded.
“Bite him. Create the bond. When he wakes, he’ll return the mark. ”
The redhead hesitated, uncertainty clear in every line of her body.
“Luna, I don’t know if—‘
“No. ”
Sasha pushed the door fully open and stepped into the room. Both women whirled toward her, shock etched on their faces. “You,” Alara gasped, recovering first.
“What are you doing here? How did you get in? ”
“Step away from him,” Sasha said to the redhead, ignoring Alara’s questions. The woman rose slowly, clearly confused by this interruption.
“Guards! ” Alara called sharply. But her voice lacked its usual authority. “They won’t hear you,” Sasha told her, moving further into the room.
“Mrs. Winters made sure of that. ”
Alara’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “More traitors in my house.
I should have known. ”
“Not traitors,” Sasha countered. “People who care about Vau. Who don’t want to see him die because of your pride.
”
The redhead glanced between them, sensing the undercurrents. “What’s happening? ” she asked. “Luna, who is this?
”
“No one,” Alara said dismissively. “A servant who’s forgotten her place. ”
“I’m his mate,” Sasha stated, her voice steady and sure. “I’m carrying the Alpha’s child.
”
The woman’s eyes widened, dropping to Sasha’s rounded belly. “Luna? ”
“Leave us,” Alara commanded sharply. “Now.
”
The redhead hesitated, clearly torn. “Alpha Vau is dying,” she said finally. “If there’s any chance she can help him—”
“Out! ” Alara snapped, eyes flashing gold.
The woman flinched. With a final glance at Sasha, she moved toward the door. “I hope you’re right,” she said quietly as she passed. “For his sake.
”
When the door closed behind her, Sasha and Alara faced each other across Vau’s prone form—two women connected by love for the same man, divided by everything else. “How did you find out? ” Alara asked, her voice dangerously soft. “Does it matter?
” Sasha countered, moving closer to the bed. “What matters is that I know what you did. I know you made a wish that tore us apart. That made us forget each other.
”
Alara’s eyes widened slightly. “Why? ” Sasha asked, her voice breaking. “Why would you do something so cruel?
Do you really hate the idea of having a wolfess girl as a daughter-in-law so much? ”
Something shifted in Alara’s expression—pain breaking through her perfect mask. “Hate you? ” She repeated, sounding genuinely surprised.
“You think that’s what this was about? ”
“What else could it be? ” Sasha challenged. Alara moved to the window, moonlight silvering her platinum hair.
“I watched you both grow up,” she said quietly. “I saw how you looked at each other, even as children. The way he defended you against bullies. The way you steadied him when his temper flared.
” She turned, her eyes surprisingly bright with unshed tears. “I’m not heartless, Sasha. I’m well aware of your qualities. Your kindness.
Your quiet strength. How you make my son laugh in a way no one else can. ”
The acknowledgment caught Sasha off guard. She’d expected denial, contempt—not recognition.
“Then why? ” she asked, genuinely perplexed. “Why separate us? ”
“Because you’re not strong enough,” Alara said, the words falling like stones.
“You would be a weakness to Vau. Others would come after you to get to him. ”
“What others? ” Sasha challenged.
“We’re not at war with anyone. ”
“Because our power is secured,” Alara retorted. “It wouldn’t be, should you become Luna. ” She turned fully toward Sasha now, her composure cracking further.
“Do you have any idea what happens to a pack with a vulnerable Luna? The challenges, the threats, the constant tests of strength? I’ve seen packs torn apart when a strong Alpha chooses a weak mate. ”
“I’m not weak,” Sasha insisted, but uncertainty crept into her voice.
“Not in spirit, no,” Alara agreed. “But physically, politically—as a wolfess female, you would make Vau vulnerable. Every rival pack, every ambitious wolf would see you as his weakness. A way to get to him.
They’d come for you. For your child. ” Her voice broke slightly. “I know what it’s like to lose a mate, Sasha.
I would never wish that pain on my son. To have his heart walking outside his body, unprotected. ”
The raw emotion in Alara’s voice gave Sasha pause. For the first time, she saw beyond the perfect Luna to the grieving widow, the protective mother.
But a glance at Vau, deathly still on the bed, hardened her resolve. “It’s too late for these concerns,” she said urgently. “He’s dying. Now.
Only I can save him. ”
Alara shook her head, desperation entering her voice. “No, you’re wrong. He’ll survive it.
”
“Because you did. For him. ” Sasha countered, understanding dawning. “You survived for him.
You had a reason—being his mother. But Vau doesn’t have his baby yet. He won’t have the same incentive. ”
Tears spilled down Alara’s perfect cheeks.
“Condemn him now or later,” she whispered, shaking her head. “Either way, I lose him. ”
“Please. ” Sasha stepped forward, gripping Alara’s hand.
“I can save him. Let me. ”
Alara stared at their joined hands—her own pale and elegant, Sasha’s smaller but surprisingly strong. In that touch, something passed between them.
A shared love for Vau. A shared fear of loss. “If I let you do this,” Alara said finally, “if I accept you as Luna—you must understand what you’re facing. The dangers, the responsibilities.
It isn’t a fairy tale, Sasha. It’s a life of constant vigilance, constant strength. Can you promise me you’ll protect him as fiercely as I have? ”
The question hung between them, weighted with decades of Alara’s own sacrifice and pain.
“I will,” Sasha vowed. “With everything I am. With everything I have. I will protect him and our child.
”
Something in her conviction must have reached Alara, for the older woman’s shoulders slumped slightly. She stepped aside, creating a path to Vau’s bedside. “Save him,” she whispered. “Please.
”
Heart pounding, Sasha rushed to Vau’s side. Up close, his condition was worse than she’d feared—his skin cold to the touch, his lips tinged blue, his breathing so shallow she could barely detect it. “Vau,” she whispered, taking his limp hand in hers. “I’m here.
I’ve come back. ”
His fingers remained motionless in her grip. No response. Not even a flicker of his eyelids.
“Please,” she begged, tears spilling down her cheeks. “Come back to me. Come back to us. ”
She placed his hand against her belly, where their child rested.
Nothing. Fear clenched around her heart. What if she was too late? What if the bond was too damaged to repair?
“I don’t know if this will work,” she admitted, glancing back at Alara, who watched from the foot of the bed, face taut with equal fear. “It must,” Alara said simply. Drawing a steadying breath, Sasha leaned down until her lips brushed Vau’s ear. “I’m sorry I forgot you,” she whispered.
“I’m sorry I left. But I’m here now. And I’m not leaving again. ”
Then, following instinct rather than knowledge, she tilted his head gently to expose the vulnerable curve where neck met shoulder—the place where mates leave their mark.
She hesitated only a moment before pressing her lips to the spot. Then, with a silent prayer, she allowed her blunt human teeth to break his skin. The taste of his blood was copper and salt on her tongue. But something else flowed with it—a current of energy, of connection.
The dormant bond flared to life, warmth spreading from the point of contact up her spine, through her chest, into her very core. Memories flashed behind her closed eyelids—not clear images, but impressions. Feelings. Warmth.
Safety. Belonging. Love so profound it transcended conscious thought. But the connection felt one-sided.
Flowing from her into him without reciprocation. His side of the bond remained cold, unresponsive. “Come back, Vau,” she pleaded against his skin. “Your child needs you.
Even if I’m not strong enough to be your Luna, even if something ends up happening to me, it’ll be okay, because you’ll have each other. ”
The room fell into tense silence, broken only by Sasha’s quiet sobs as she clung to Vau’s unresponsive form. Alara moved to the window, unable to watch, her shoulders shaking with silent grief. Then—so subtle Sasha almost missed it—Vau’s fingers twitched against her belly.
She pulled back slightly, hardly daring to hope. “Vau? ”
His eyelids fluttered. Then slowly opened, revealing blue eyes clouded with confusion.
—
Three months later, Alara sat alone in her chambers, listening to the distant sounds of activity from the east wing upstairs. Sasha was giving birth to her grandchild. Her son’s heir. The fire crackled in the hearth, the only movement in her still room.
Outside, rain tapped against windows. Under similar skies, she had given birth to Vau. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to remember. The pain had been excruciating but bearable, with Xavier beside her—her mate, her Alpha, his hand in hers, his scent enveloping her.
“You’re the strongest wolf I know,” he told her as he placed their newborn son in her arms. “My perfect Luna. ”
She barely remembered the months after his death. Lying in her bed, staring at walls, drowning in the fractured bond that throbbed like an open wound.
Her memories of that time existed in fragments—the taste of tears, the scent of grief, the sound of her own breath. Each inhale a betrayal to the mate who would never breathe again. She didn’t remember where Vau was during those months. She knew he turned ten without either parent present.
What she did remember was how he would come to her at night, climbing into her bed without a word, his small body pressed against hers. She would hold him, nose buried in his hair, desperately searching for traces of his father’s scent in his youthful skin. When she finally rose from her grief, however, she remembered him being cheerful. Accommodating.
Perfect. Everything was always fine, always good. She didn’t realize until much later what he was doing—protecting her from further pain, carrying his own grief in silence so as not to add to hers. Alara realized now she had no idea when or how her son had mourned his father.
What she did remember with crystal clarity was the first time she saw the girl Sasha. Twelve years old, all limbs and messy black hair, standing in her garden with Vau. She’d prided herself on knowing all of Vau’s friends—she’d vetted them carefully, ensuring they were all from good families with proper upbringings, children of pack loyalists. She didn’t know this girl.
And she had certainly never approved a wolfess friend for her son. She remembered watching from her study window as Vau paced furiously, ranting about something while the girl listened. “It’s not fair how they treat you. I’ll make them stop when I’m Alpha.
”
“But it’s true,” Sasha had interrupted, her voice soft but clear enough to reach Alara’s window. “I don’t have a wolf. And my dad did leave because of it. ”
“That doesn’t make it right,” Vau had insisted, his adolescent voice cracking with emotion.
Sasha had simply shrugged, reaching out to squeeze his hand. “I’m just happy I have you. ”
The simple statement had stopped Vau’s tirade instantly. His shoulders had dropped, anger giving way to something softer, more vulnerable.
Later, Alara had questioned Mrs. Winters, who confessed she’d known about Sasha—a servant girl with no parents and no wolf, whom Vau had met during a reception at the girl’s uncle’s estate. “I allowed the friendship because, frankly, she’s his only real friend. And he needs one,” Mrs.
Winters had admitted. “Vau has many friends,” Alara had argued. “No, Luna. He has subjects—future Lords he’ll preside over.
And he knows it. ” Mrs. Winters’ gaze had been direct, uncomfortably so. “Sasha is different because she’s not from his world.
He can be himself with her. He can cry in front of her. Grieve. ”
The word had struck Alara like a physical blow.
*Grieve. * Had her son been grieving all this time, silently beside her but unreachable? Guilt had compelled her to allow the friendship. But she came to regret it as the children grew into teenagers, then young adults.
What had begun as friendship transformed before her eyes into something deeper. The way Vau’s eyes followed Sasha across rooms. The way his scent changed when she entered a space. Then there was the tooth.
Vau’s first canine, lost in combat training when he was seventeen. Pack tradition dictated that a wolf’s first fallen tooth was a gift for someone special. As his mother, as Luna, Alara had expected to receive this token of respect. Instead, a week after the training bout, she’d spotted a silver chain around Sasha’s neck during one of the girl’s visits.
Hanging from it was Vau’s tooth, polished to a pearly sheen and wrapped in intricate silver wire. The sight had stopped Alara mid-sentence. Her son had literally given part of himself to a girl with no place in the future she’d planned for him. A girl he clearly loved more than tradition, more than duty.
Perhaps even more than her. Vau never asked for her permission to take Sasha as his mate. As if her approval didn’t matter. As if what existed between them belonged only to them.
And perhaps it did. The door to her chambers opened suddenly, jarring Alara from her memories. Vau stood in the doorway, his tall frame silhouetted against the corridor light. He looked exhausted but exhilarated, his eyes bright with an emotion she hadn’t seen in him since childhood.
“Vau,” she said, rising to her feet. “How is Sasha? ”
“She is well,” he replied. “She has given birth to our son.
”
*A son. * Her grandson. “May I see him? ” she asked, taking a hesitant step forward.
Vau’s expression didn’t change, but something in his eyes hardened. “No,” he said simply, turning to leave. Alara tensed. She remembered the magician Adrien—his strange green eyes watching her as she spoke her wish, the terms of their agreement, the price she would pay.
*Your heart’s desire will cost what you value most*, he had told her. She’d assumed it would be her status. Her authority. Perhaps even her health.
But what she paid was her son’s love. “Wait,” Alara called. She moved to her dresser, opening the top drawer to remove a small wooden box. “I have something that belongs to Sasha.
”
Vau paused, suspicion evident in his stance. Alara opened the box, revealing a silver chain with a polished wolf’s tooth wrapped in intricate wire. “I took this from her the night I—the night I made my wish. I noticed her reaching for it without knowing why.
”
Vau took the necklace, his fingers closing around it slowly. There was no recognition on his face. “Give it back to her,” Alara said. “Tell her—” she hesitated, emotion threatening to overwhelm her carefully maintained composure.
“Tell her I’m sorry. ”
For a moment, something like his old warmth flickered in his gaze. But it was gone in an instant. The door closed behind him with a soft click, and Alara was alone once more.
—
The soft cries of a newborn filled the room as Sasha cradled her daughter against her chest—three hours old, with a dusting of dark hair and impossibly tiny fingers that curled around Sasha’s thumb with surprising strength. “She’s perfect,” Vau whispered, perched on the edge of the bed beside them. His finger gently traced their daughter’s cheek. “Just like her mother.
”
Sasha smiled up at him, exhausted but radiant. “What shall we name her? ”
They’d talked about names for months but never settled on one, preferring to wait until they met their child. “Meline,” Vau suggested.
“After your mother. ”
“Meline,” Sasha repeated tearfully. “Yes. It feels right.
”
Outside the window, laughter drifted up from the gardens. Their sons—five-year-old Xavier, named after his grandfather, and three-year-old Jude—were chasing each other around a fountain, their excited shrieks punctuated by a woman’s gentle admonishments. Alara was there. She caught Jude as he tripped, setting him back on his feet with practiced ease.
Unlike his older brother, Jude hadn’t shown signs of being able to shift; his wolf was as dormant as Sasha’s had always been. This shared trait had forged a special bond between mother and son, and between grandson and grandmother—who treated Jude’s wolf-less-ness not as a flaw but as a different kind of strength. “She’s good with them,” Sasha observed. Vau made a non-committal sound, his eyes fixed on the scene below.
“Do you ever wonder,” he asked carefully, “what it would be like? If we remembered growing up together? Falling in love the first time? ”
Sasha considered this.
“Sometimes,” she admitted. “It feels strange to know we have this whole history together that’s just gone. But we’ve made new memories. ” She pointed out: “Three of them, actually.
” She nodded toward the window where their sons played, then down at the bundle in her arms. Vau’s expression softened as he leaned down to place a kiss on Meline’s forehead, then one on Sasha’s lips. “Yes, we have. ”
Five years since that night when Sasha had claimed Vau, saving him from bonding sickness and reclaiming her place as his mate.
As Luna. She led the pack alongside Vau, proving daily that strength came in many forms. “I’m going to check on the boys,” Vau said, pressing another kiss to her temple. “You should rest.
”
After he left, Sasha turned her attention back to the window. Alara now sat on a stone bench, both boys on her lap as she read to them from a leather-bound book. It had been Sasha who insisted the children know their grandmother. Enough pain had been caused, she told Vau after Jude was born.
They deserved to know her, and she deserved the chance to love them. Vau had reluctantly agreed—for Sasha’s sake more than Alara’s. He was civil with his mother, even cordial on good days, but the easy warmth that once existed between them remained fractured. For her part, Alara had accepted her diminished role with quiet dignity.
“He used to be so angry,” Alara had confided to Sasha once, watching a younger Xavier toddle across the lawn. “After his father died. It was you who helped him through it. ”
Sasha treasured these glimpses into their forgotten past.
Through Alara’s stories, she and Vau recovered fragments of who they were—like picking up scattered puzzle pieces of a picture they’d never fully see again. A soft knock at the door drew her attention. Vau entered, carrying Jude. “Someone wanted to meet his sister,” he explained, settling him on the bed beside her.
Jude peered curiously at the bundle in Sasha’s arms. “She’s really small,” he observed, reaching out one careful finger to touch Meline’s hand. “You were that small once too,” Sasha told him, brushing his dark hair back from his forehead. “Was not,” he protested.
But his attention was already captured by his new sister. Vau watched them, something like wonder in his eyes. “I never thought I’d have this,” he admitted softly. “A family.
Children. ”
“You deserve it all,” Sasha told him. Xavier burst into the room then, followed by Alara, who hovered in the doorway, uncertain of her welcome. “Come in, Luna,” Sasha called.
“Meet your granddaughter. ”
Alara approached cautiously, her eyes seeking Vau’s permission. After a moment’s hesitation, he nodded slightly. “Meline,” Sasha said, angling the baby so Alara could see her face.
“After my mother. ”
“She’s beautiful,” Alara said, her voice thick with emotion. “She has your eyes,” Sasha said. “And Vau’s stubbornness,” she added with a tired smile.
“She took her time arriving. ”
Alara laughed softly. “That, she gets from both of you. ”
Vau’s arm slipped around Sasha’s shoulders, drawing her closer.
For a moment, they were simply a family—imperfect, but together. Later, when the children had been settled and Alara had tactfully withdrawn, Vau returned to find Sasha nursing their daughter. He stood in the doorway watching them, love evident in every line of his body. “I hope they always have happy memories of us,” Sasha said, looking up to meet his gaze.
“Our children. ”
Vau crossed to join them, sliding into bed beside her. “They will,” he promised. “We’ll make sure of it.
”
He kissed her then—slow and sweet, a reaffirmation of everything they’d built together, everything they’d overcome. Their bond pulsed between them, stronger than magic, stronger than memory—a connection that transcended the past they’d lost and embraced the future they were creating.
